Perception of safety, importance, and effectiveness of vaccinations among urban school employees in Utah.

PURPOSE: School employees are in direct contact with children in confined areas, a setting in which communicable infection can quickly spread. Therefore, it is important for school employees to be fully vaccinated. The purpose of this study is to ascertain the current vaccination status and perceptions of school employees in an urban school district. DATA SOURCES: The study employed a nonexperimental mixed-method design. School employee participants (N = 1400) completed a questionnaire to evaluate vaccination status, availability of vaccination records, and vaccination awareness. Participants were randomly selected from 85 schools within one urban school district.
CONCLUSIONS: Two common perceptions about vaccines emerged from the questionnaire: (a) vaccines are only for children and (b) vaccinations received during childhood are still effective. School employees are unaware of their own vaccination status and the recommended vaccination schedule for adults. Additionally, accessibility to immunization records for adults is frequently inadequate. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Healthcare providers (HCPs), including nurse practitioners (NPs), are the first line of defense to ensure adults are adequately vaccinated. When vaccinations are tracked and recommended by HCPs, vaccination uptake is improved. NPs who discuss recommended vaccinations with adult patients are instrumental in improving vaccination rates among school employees. ©2015 American Association of Nurse Practitioners.