Undergraduate nursing students’ COVID-19 vaccine intentions: A national survey

Abstract

Introduction In December 2020, the first two COVID-19 vaccines were approved in the United States (U.S.) and recommended for distribution to front-line personnel, including nurses. Nursing students are being prepared to fill critical gaps in the health care workforce and have played important supportive roles during the current pandemic. Research has focused on vaccine intentions of current health care providers and less is known about students’ intentions to vaccinate for COVID-19. Methods A national sample of undergraduate nursing students were recruited across five nursing schools in five U.S. regions in December 2020. The survey measured perceived risk/threat of COVID-19, COVID-19 vaccine attitudes, perceived safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines, sources for vaccine information and level of intention to become vaccinated [primary, secondary (i.e., delayed), or no intention to vaccinate]. Results The final sample consisted of 772 students. The majority (83.6%) had intentions to be vaccinated, however of those 31.1% indicated secondary intention, a delay in intention or increased hesitancy). The strongest predictors of primary intention were positive attitudes (OR = 6.86; CI = 4.39–10.72), having lower safety concerns (OR = 0.26; CI = 0.18–0.36), and consulting social media as a source of information (OR = 1.56; CI = 1.23–1.97). Asian (OR = 0.47; CI = 0.23–0.97) and Black (OR 0.26; CI = 0.08–0.80) students were more likely to indicate secondary intention as compared to primary intention. Students in the Midwest were most likely to indicate no intention as compared to secondary intention (OR = 4.6; CI = 1.32–16.11). Conclusions As the first two COVID-19 vaccines were approved/recommended in the U.S. nursing students had overall high intentions to vaccinate. Findings can guide development of educational interventions that reduce concerns of vaccine safety that are delivered in a way that is supportive and affirming to minoritized populations while being respectful of geo-political differences.

Factors Influencing Willingness to Be Vaccinated against COVID-19 in Nigeria

“…This is a very critical concern because urban dwellers are largely educated with a significant presence on several social media platforms [ 41 ]. In some previous studies, several authors have reported negative association between social media exposure and the acceptance of COVID-19 vaccines [ 66 , 67 , 68 , 69 , 70 , 71 , 72 ], while others reported positive association [ 73 , 74 , 75 , 76 ].…”

COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and short-term and long-term intentions among unvaccinated young adults: a mixed-method approach

“…The HBM and 5C guided the construction of the survey to better understand what beliefs this age group holds about vaccination and to identify barriers to action. Given that younger age [ 32 – 34 ] and living in the Midwest [ 35 ] are associated with greater vaccine hesitancy, this regional snapshot could contribute to addressing the challenges of COVID-19 vaccine promotion that public health professionals face. Moreover, a mixed-method approach involving both qualitative interview and quantitative survey methods has rarely been used together to understand unvaccinated adults’ COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, except for a few studies that recruited healthcare workers [ 36 ].…”

Vaccine hesitancy and hesitant adoption among nursing students in Texas

“…Studies including nursing students have been conducted in China, ( Zhou et al, 2021 ), Europe ( Belingheri et al, 2021 ; Petalarou et al, 2021), and the United States ( Bonnema et al, 2021 , Fontenot et al, 2021 , Manning et al, 2021 , Morris et al, 2022 ). Two studies focused on single schools in the Eastern and Northeastern U.S. regions and included faculty and students ( Manning et al, 2021 , Morris et al, 2022 ).…”

“…While some studies have examined vaccine hesitancy among healthcare professionals, including nurses (ANF, 2020; Biswas et al, 2021 , Gogoi et al, 2022 , Kuter et al, 2021 ), few have specifically addressed the views of nursing students after vaccines became readily available (Morris, 2022). Most studies including nursing students focused on intent to be vaccinated rather than actual behavior ( Belingheri et al, 2021 , Bonnema et al, 2021 , Fontenot et al, 2021 , Manning et al, 2021 , Patelarou et al, 2021 , Zhou et al, 2021 ). In addition, the definition and measurement of vaccine hesitancy are not consistent, producing considerable variation in results.…”