Lyons Rhiannon, Mathews Maria, Hedden Lindsay, Lukewich Julia, Marshall Emily Gard, Isenor Jennifer E, Wickett Jamie, Dufour Emilie, Meredith Leslie, Ryan Dana, Spencer Sarah, Vaughan Crystal, Cusack Cheryl
Department of Family Medicine, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, 1151 Richmond Street, London, ON, N6A 5C1, Canada.
Department of Epidemiology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, 1465 Richmond Street, London, ON, N6G 2M1, Canada.
BMC Prim Care. 2025 Feb 25;26(1):53. doi: 10.1186/s12875-025-02747-8.
Primary care nurses, including nurse practitioners (NPs), registered nurses (RNs), and licensed practical nurses/registered practical nurses (LPNs/RPNs), play a pivotal role in pandemic management and outbreak planning. There is extensive literature surrounding COVID-19 vaccination efforts in Canada; however, limited research addresses the involvement of primary care nurses, as well as the organization and integration of these efforts into primary care settings. This study aimed to describe the organizational challenges, barriers, and facilitators to primary care nurses' roles in COVID-19 vaccination.
As part of a mixed methods case study, we conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews with primary care nurses employed in regions across four Canadian provinces: British Columbia, Ontario, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador. During the interviews, nurses described their activities throughout different phases of the COVID-19 pandemic, factors that facilitated or impeded their efforts, and potential contributions nurses could have made. We applied a thematic analysis approach and analyzed codes related to the organization of the COVID-19 vaccination rollout.
We interviewed 76 nurses (24 NPs, 37 RNs, and 15 LPNs/RPNs) between May 2022 and January 2023. We identified five overarching components of the COVID-19 vaccination rollout that influenced primary care nurses' perceptions and experiences: (1) information, (2) training, (3) coordination, (4) integration, and (5) compensation. Participants reported both positive and negative experiences with the vaccine rollout. Rapidly evolving information made it difficult for nurses to stay informed and training for vaccine delivery posed barriers due to time requirements and redundancy. Support was often lacking for new electronic systems, and regional coordination varied, sometimes resulting in miscommunication. Delays in integrating vaccination into primary care, logistical challenges, and disparities in compensation between nurses and physicians also presented challenges.
Findings highlight the critical roles of primary care nurses in mass vaccination campaigns, underscoring the need for targeted information, effective training, streamlined coordination, better integration into primary care, and more equitable compensation. Integrating these services into primary care can enhance future vaccination efforts by leveraging nurses' expertise to improve vaccine access and delivery.
基层医疗护士，包括执业护士（NPs）、注册护士（RNs）和执业实用护士/注册实用护士（LPNs/RPNs），在疫情管理和疫情应对规划中发挥着关键作用。关于加拿大新冠疫苗接种工作的文献极为丰富；然而，针对基层医疗护士的参与情况，以及这些工作在基层医疗环境中的组织与整合的研究却十分有限。本研究旨在描述基层医疗护士在新冠疫苗接种中所面临的组织挑战、障碍及促进因素。
作为一项混合方法案例研究的一部分，我们对加拿大四个省份（不列颠哥伦比亚省、安大略省、新斯科舍省和纽芬兰与拉布拉多省）各地区的基层医疗护士进行了半结构化定性访谈。在访谈中，护士们描述了他们在新冠疫情不同阶段的活动、促进或阻碍其工作的因素，以及护士本可做出的潜在贡献。我们采用了主题分析方法，分析了与新冠疫苗接种推广组织相关的编码。
在2022年5月至2023年1月期间，我们共访谈了76名护士（24名执业护士、37名注册护士和15名执业实用护士/注册实用护士）。我们确定了新冠疫苗接种推广过程中影响基层医疗护士认知和体验的五个总体要素：（1）信息，（2）培训，（3）协调，（4）整合，（5）薪酬。参与者对疫苗接种推广既有积极体验，也有消极体验。信息快速变化使得护士难以及时了解情况，而疫苗接种培训因时间要求和内容冗余构成了障碍。新电子系统往往缺乏支持，地区协调情况各异，有时导致沟通不畅。将疫苗接种整合到基层医疗中出现延误、后勤方面的挑战，以及护士与医生薪酬的差异也带来了诸多难题。
研究结果凸显了基层医疗护士在大规模疫苗接种活动中的关键作用，强调了提供有针对性的信息、进行有效培训、简化协调流程、更好地融入基层医疗以及实现更公平薪酬的必要性。将这些服务融入基层医疗可以利用护士的专业知识来改善疫苗获取和接种情况，从而加强未来的疫苗接种工作。
