Nursing students at the University of San Francisco have been unable to get clinical experience since the start of the pandemic, but a partnership with Kaiser Permanente has allowed them to finally be able to practice what they learn in the classroom.
Nursing school students must fulfill a certain amount of hours in a clinical setting, but USF nursing school professor Victoria Chaudhary told KCBS Radio that coronavirus pandemic restrictions shut that down.
“Our students were left without an opportunity to be where they used to go to, like a nursing home, where it wasn’t deemed safe at the moment,” Chaudhary said. “So we have gotten this as an opportunity to have our students have that experience that they need.”
Kaiser Vaccine Clinic Director Peggy Sugar called the COVID-19 vaccine clinic at the USF gymnasium “perfect.”
“You can sit in a lab, you can read text books and you can watch videos for as long as you want, but until you touch patients and speak to patients, it’s not a real thing and you can’t build your skills the same way,” Sugar said.
Student Jessica Schuman said there is anxiety, but she finds that talking to the patients helps.
“Yea, it’s really great, it’s really exciting,” Schuman said. “A lot of these people haven’t been able to see their family or see their loved ones for a long time, so it’s a big deal.”
Alexander Steinhouse got his second shot of Moderna at the clinic.
“I think this place is super well organized. I was blown away last time I was here by all the people working and how efficient the whole process was,” he said. “Everyone was in a great mood and I just felt really well taken care of.”
