Developing and Implementing an Intervention to Increase Immunization Coverage Among Frontline Long-Term Care Staff

Abstract

In the years following the COVID-19 pandemic, immunization coverage has declined among frontline post-acute and long-term care (PALTC) staff, such as nurses, certified nursing assistants, and kitchen staff. We took a novel approach to addressing these declines by engaging frontline staff in design of immunization-focused professional development by surveying a convenience sample of 200 frontline PALTC staff to understand their attitudes toward immunization and preferences for job-related education and training. Frontline staff reported being motivated to protect themselves and residents from illness but were skeptical about the ability of vaccines to do so. Many felt strongly that immunization is a personal choice and wanted objective and reliable information on vaccines. We used this learning to design a 45-minute in-service for frontline staff that presented information on the benefits and risks of recommended immunization for PALTC residents and staff in a neutral way that respected staff autonomy. Accompanying brief online training prepared supervisors to deliver the in-service and answer staff questions. To evaluate the training, we surveyed a separate convenience sample of supervisors at 3 PALTC facilities, and all positively evaluated the in-service materials and training. The core focus of this innovative approach is centered on trusted messengers sharing reliable and relevant vaccine information in respectful ways.