Nurses Essential
in Ensuring All Children are Protected with Immunization
National Immunization Awareness Month
is a reminder
that we all need vaccines throughout our
lives.
Parents consider healthcare professionals one
of the most trusted sources in answering questions and addressing concerns
about their child’s health. A recent survey on parents’ attitudes, knowledge,
and behaviors regarding vaccines for young children – including vaccine safety
and trust – found that 82 percent of parents consider pediatric health care
professionals to be one of their most trusted sources of vaccine information.
With so many parents relying on the advice of health care professionals about
vaccines, a nurse’s recommendation plays a key role in guiding parents’
vaccination decisions.
“Because nurses are often the ones
administering vaccines, it makes their expertise, knowledge, and advice vital
in creating a safe and trusted environment for discussing childhood
immunizations,” said Dr. Anne Schuchat, assistant surgeon general of the U.S.
Public Health Service and CDC’s director of the National Center for
Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. “How you communicate with parents during
routine pediatric visits is critical for fostering parental confidence in the
decision to vaccinate their children.”
The survey also found that 71 percent of
parents were confident or very confident in the safety of routine childhood
immunizations, although parents’ most common question is what side effects they
should look for after vaccination. Twenty-five percent are concerned that
children get too many vaccines in one doctor’s visit and 20 percent of survey
participants are concerned that vaccines may cause autism.
“Reinforcing that vaccines are safe and
effective can go a long way towards assuring parents that they are doing the
best thing for their children,” says Patsy Stinchfield, a pediatric nurse practitioner
who represents the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners. “One
of the best ways you can establish trust with parents is by asking open-ended
questions to help identify and address concerns they may have about vaccines.
Also, restate their questions and acknowledge concerns with empathy.”
Make sure to address questions or concerns by
tailoring responses to the level of detail the parent is looking for. Some
parents may be prepared for a fairly high level of detail about vaccines – how
they work and the diseases they prevent –while others may be overwhelmed by too
much science and may respond better to a personal example of a patient you’ve
seen with a vaccine-preventable disease. A strong recommendation from you as a
nurse can also make parents feel comfortable with their decision to vaccinate.
For all parents, it’s important to address the
risks of the diseases that vaccines prevent. It’s also imperative to
acknowledge the risks associated with vaccines and highlight the benefits of
vaccines. Parents are seeking balanced information. Never state that vaccines
are risk-free, and always discuss the known side effects caused by vaccines.
If a parent chooses not to vaccinate, keep the
lines of communication open and revisit their decision at a future visit. Make
sure parents are aware of the risks and responsibilities they need to take on,
such as informing schools and child care facilities that their child is
unimmunized, and being careful to stay aware of any disease outbreaks that
occur in their communities. If you build a trusting relationship over time with
parents, they may reconsider their vaccination decision.
To help communicate about vaccine-preventable
diseases, vaccines, and vaccine safety, the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC), the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), and the
American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) have partnered to develop Provider Resources for Vaccine Conversations
with Parents. These materials include vaccine safety information, fact
sheets on vaccines and vaccine-preventable diseases, and strategies for
successful vaccine conversations with parents. They are free and available
online at www.cdc.gov/vaccines/conversations.
A parent's baby’s well-child visits
can be stressful for the parent and their child, but there are ways to make them go
easier. Get useful tips for soothing their baby when they gets shots by visiting
CDC’s vaccine website for parents: www.cdc.gov/vaccines/parents/tools/tips-factsheet.html
A special thank you and acknowledgement to the National Public Health Information Coalition and the CDC for providing the above information and resources.
A special thank you and acknowledgement to the National Public Health Information Coalition and the CDC for providing the above information and resources.
