Nurses Recommend COVID-19 Vaccines and Support Mandates and Boosters if Recommended

Nearly 90% of nurses are vaccinated against COVID-19 or plan to get vaccinated, new American Nurses Association study says.  

Nurses overwhelmingly support COVID-19 vaccines, mandates, and boosters if recommended, according to a survey of more than 4,500 nurses released today by the American Nurses Association (ANA).

"Nursing practice is both an art and a science. Nurses are highly skilled and knowledgeable healthcare providers, scientists, and researchers, so they understand the rigor and effort behind developing the COVID-19 vaccines," ANA president Ernest J. Grant, PhD, RN, FAAN, said in a press release.

The ANA conducted the survey in partnership with COVID Vaccine Facts for Nurses, an educational campaign comprised of ANA and 22 other leading nursing and healthcare organizations that provides critical, current, and culturally sensitive COVID-19 vaccine information for the nation’s nurses. 

Some of the major findings of the newly released COVID Vaccine Facts for Nurses Survey include:

88% of nurses said they were vaccinated or planned to get a vaccine.

Most nurses are vaccinated against COVID-19, or plan to get vaccinated, and say they are comfortable recommending COVID-19 vaccines.

58% of nurses support COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

This aligns with nursing’s own professional standards, which ethically obligate nurses to model the prevention measures recommended to their patients, according to the ANA.

64% of nurses say FDA approval does not influence their support of the science.

Nurses indicated in the survey that they trust the science behind COVID-19 vaccines. Ongoing clinical trials, research, and evidence have demonstrated the safety profile of the COVID-19 vaccines—that they are stable and effective in preventing the spread of the virus as well as mitigating impact of the highly transmissible and contagious Delta variant, the ANA said.

84% of nurses will get COVID-19 booster shot, if recommended.

Nurses' willingness to take COVID-19 boosters, if necessary, underscores their support for taking all recommended actions to protect themselves, their patients, and those they encounter from the risk of serious illness and possible death from the virus, according to the ANA. 

87% of nurses encourage the public to follow the guidance of public health officials.

Most of the nurses surveyed say they understand the urgent need to stay up to date on the latest developments and are referring their patients to trusted and credible authorities such as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). 

"Nurses' knowledge, coupled with their frontline experience caring for those with COVID-19 over the past 16 months, is evident by these survey findings," Grand said. "By getting vaccinated themselves, supporting vaccine mandates, and ensuring that their patients have the most accurate and reliable information possible about the COVID-19 vaccines, nurses nationwide are fulfilling their professional and ethical obligations."

"We continue to urge the public to follow nurses' example," he said, "and get vaccinated to reduce the risk of further hospitalizations and deaths to end this pandemic."