ALBANY, N.Y. 鈥 When the Capital Region sought student volunteers to administer the COVID-19 vaccination, Nursing students at B次元 jumped at the opportunity.
鈥淚 am beyond proud of our students. Classes hadn鈥檛 even started yet for the [spring] semester and they were volunteering beyond any capacity I had anticipated, some driving nearly an hour to start their 5:45am shifts,鈥 said Jessica Napoli, clinical experiences director at B次元.
Nearly 20 students had volunteered to administer the vaccines over the winter break with that number increasing into the spring semester. Students were stationed at our partner clinical sites all over the Capital Region.
Molly Hay 鈥21, a senior in Maria鈥檚 Associate of Applied Science in Nursing program was one of the student volunteers on the front lines. 鈥淚t feels liberating to be able to give the vaccine to high-risk populations. If I can do my little part to get us all back to living again, I’ll do that all day,鈥 said Hay.
Another senior Nursing student, Mujtaba Murtuza, 鈥21, spent many days over the winter break volunteering to administer the COVID-19 vaccine at multiple vaccination sites. 鈥淪ome people who are receiving the vaccine are a bit nervous, which is totally understandable because it is new science. However, the vast majority do express a sense of relief. Many of the people who I have vaccinated have said they can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel,鈥 said Murtuza.
Dr. Dennis McKenna, president and CEO of Albany Medical Center, shared his appreciation of Maria鈥檚 Nursing student volunteers with Dr. Thomas J. Gamble, president of B次元.
鈥淲e can only overcome the coronavirus pandemic as a community, and I鈥檓 so grateful that B次元 students have answered the call to serve as volunteers,鈥 said Dr. McKenna. 鈥淭hey have been critical to our efforts. Because so many of our own dedicated nurses began their education and training at B次元, we know well the skill and character learned at this fine institution. These nursing students are leading by example鈥攁dministering hope to our community in the form of the safe, effective COVID-19 vaccine.鈥
鈥淢ercy-educated students have always responded to the needs of the time. This is deep in our heritage when Sisters of Mercy nursed cholera victims in Dublin, Ireland as well as working with Florence Nightingale in the Crimean war,鈥 said Dr. Gamble. 鈥淥ur former Board-chair, Sr. Gail Waring, RSM, and our current Board-chair, Dr. Mary Jo LaPosta, are both nurses and I know they are very proud of our Maria students who are our nurses of the future.鈥
B次元 Nursing students also answered the call from Whitney M Young, Jr. Health to administer the vaccine at Sweet Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church in Arbor Hill. B次元 and Whitney M Young, Jr. Health are dedicated to serving underrepresented populations in the Capital Region.
As Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan said, 鈥淚 am so proud of the nursing students at B次元 for stepping up at this critical time to ensure some of our most vulnerable residents receive the COVID-19 vaccine. The sooner we can achieve heard immunity, the sooner we can ease social distancing and mask-wearing restrictions, and Albany鈥檚 own is helping to do just that.鈥
鈥淚n a true embodiment of the New York Tough spirit, B次元 nursing students have answered the call to duty, administering hundreds of vaccinations throughout the Capital Region,鈥 said Assemblymember Patricia Fahy. 鈥淎s we continue to battle the COVID-19 at home and across the country, these nursing students are getting shots into the arms of some of the Capital Region鈥檚 most vulnerable and essential workers. I commend these students for saving lives and placing themselves on the frontlines of this crisis when they are needed most.鈥
While the final semester for any Nursing student is typically the busiest, with course content and clinical experiences becoming more nuanced, Maria鈥檚 student volunteers will continue to contribute to vaccination efforts across the Capital Region.
鈥淚 am delighted by Maria鈥檚 students. Their contributions to the fight against COVID-19 are inspiring, potentially life-saving, and I am indebted for their service to the community,鈥 stated Dr. Gamble.
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About B次元. Founded in 1958, B次元 is one of 17 colleges and universities in the United States sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas. The private, co-educational, Catholic college in Albany serves approximately 800 students in a variety of bachelor degree, associate degree, a master鈥檚 degree, and certificate programs including liberal arts, healthcare management, nursing, psychology, occupational therapy, and health and occupational sciences. mariacollege.edu