Merced College ‘part of history.’ Nursing students in pivotal role during COVID pandemic

Merced College nursing student Shania Rolfe tried to make patients feel at ease on Wednesday as she administered Pfizer COVID vaccines inside Merced College’s gymnasium.

Wearing blue scrubs, medical safety goggles, and a medical mask, it was clear she was probably smiling — even though her mask was covering it.

That’s because she was pleased to help her patients feel comfortable, even as some expressed how nervous they were.

“I feel really honored to be doing it, because the vaccines are something that we’ve been waiting for a year now for and it’s something that is kind of like the light at the tunnel for this all to be over,” she explained.

“To be able to be able to give that out to everybody has been really awesome, like, I’m part of history in a way.”

Rolfe was among the 106 Merced College nursing students who participated this week in the COVID vaccination clinic at the school.

The clinic in recent weeks has been one of the primary local sites for residents to get vaccinated from the coronavirus — which has killed nearly 400 people since it first appeared in Merced County last year.

Although students like Rolfe are at the beginning of their careers in the medical profession, their frontlines role against the virus cannot be underestimated.

Public health officials are on a mission to vaccinate around at least 75% of Merced County’s roughly 277,680 residents in order to eventually bring the pandemic under control.

It’s a tall calling, as thus far the county has only vaccinated just over 3% of its population — primarily because those doses are in short supply, according to the County Department of Public Health.

“It’s going to be a long ride until we get to a point where enough people are vaccinated,” said Kitty Cazares, registered nurse program director at Merced College.

In order to achieve that number, local health officials are going to need all the help they can get — which is why Merced College’s nursing students are key.

Susie Saeteurn, 46, another student in the program, said it has provided a chance to serve the community in ways she never imagined.

“It’s given me a whole lot of opportunity because everybody’s suffering and then with patients, even at the hospital and (at the clinic), you hear their stories and sometimes its really sad, and it’s a good opportunity to interact with them and make sure they’re OK,” Saeteurn said.

Providing helpful information to patients

The clinic is being done partnership with UC Merced and Dignity Health, who donated the vaccines.

Jill Cunningham, Merced College’s associate vice president for the office of external relations, said the nursing students and more than 80 volunteers thus far have been able to vaccinate nearly 4,000 people.

As the nursing students administered the vaccines, there was no shortage of questions from patients.

For example, Saeteurn said some patients asked about what kind of vaccines they were getting. Some also raised concerns, despite expressing interest in the vaccines.

Kimberly Zotea, 31, nursing student, said she got questions like, “when do I have to come back?”

Some patients also asking about side effects, such as if they’ll feel pain in their arms or feel sick.

“No matter what, even if you get the flu vaccine — people have the same concern. I feel like a lot of people have come in and have actually been really thankful that the process has been so smooth and that they’ve had the opportunity to get it,” Zotea said.

Cazares said she’s also heard fears and concerns raised among patients, some of which is due to rumors.

She and other medical personnel who administered the vaccines reassured patients about the benefits.

“I think the more of us that get vaccinated, people realize it really is to make us healthy and to get us into a place where we can get back to what normal is again, ” Cazares said.

Fewer than 7,000 people reported having side effects from COVID-19 vaccines after the first 13.7 million doses were administered in the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday.

Of the 6,994 people who said they had side effects between Dec. 14 and Jan. 13, 640 were considered serious, the CDC said.

Gaining valuable experience

Aside from administering the vaccines, the nursing students also participate in clinical rotations on a regular basis at Mercy Medical Center Merced.

The program has given them real-world experience, although it can be emotionally overwhelming.

Zotea said she’s glad to not only learn how care for a patient with COVID, but also provide emotional support.

“I feel like even though we’re not their family, we can kind of be that extra person to talk to when you’re pretty much in the hospital by yourself,” she said.

“It’s also learning, but also to see that people are alone, during this pandemic, so I think it’s nice that we’re kind of like that shoulder, that person to talk to.”

Part of history

Merced College is among the 15 state community colleges to host vaccine clinics, said Paul Feist, vice chancellor for communications and marketing at California Community Colleges.

Those eligible for the vaccines in Merced County are generally those 65 and older, folks younger with chronic health conditions and health care and essential workers.

Rolfe described her clinical rotations at Mercy Medical Center Merced as “eye opening,” seeing how medical personnel can work together to care for patients who need it.

“We haven’t been able to go to as many floors, but the floors that we have been able to go to, we kind of get a good picture of how it is to be a patient without family members there, and how the team works together to take care of that patient.”

Residents are asked to make appointments upon getting vaccinated. If a person is in quarantine or tests positive for COVID-19, they are asked to not come to the clinic for 14 days, and must be asymptomatic for 72 hours before receiving their vaccinations.

At this point, Cazares is unsure of when the college will pursue another vaccination clinic, as the college will have to wait on the county to receive more doses.

Nonetheless she said, “we’re going to do everything we can to, you know, make sure that we can help in getting those vaccines out.”

This story was originally published February 20, 2021 at 7:00 AM with the headline "Merced College ‘part of history.’ Nursing students in pivotal role during COVID pandemic."