Vaccine hesitancy and hesitant adoption among nursing students in Texas.

BACKGROUND: As the state facing the second-largest nursing workforce shortage in the U.S. and low vaccination rates among residents early in the pandemic, Texas provided a unique opportunity to examine vaccine hesitancy and hesitant adoption among nursing students in an environment where state-level executive orders prohibited mandatory vaccinations.

METHODS: The purpose of this study was to describe the level of vaccine hesitancy and hesitant adoption among nursing students in the state of Texas. We used a convenient, opt-in, online survey of nursing students conducted between mid-April and mid-June 2022. The survey was distributed to all pre-licensure nursing programs in Texas.

RESULTS: The majority of survey respondents (n = 599) were between the ages of 18-28 (68 %), female (88 %) and white (57 %). Most received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccination (84 %). Of those receiving the vaccine, a high proportion (82 %) were identified as hesitant adopters. Respondents cited concerns about side effects (57 %) most frequently as the reason for vaccine hesitancy.

CONCLUSION: Given the worldwide nursing shortage, factors potentially impacting the future workforce, such as vaccine hesitancy and hesitant adoption, must be closely monitored. More research is needed to understand the concerns of nursing students and the motivations of hesitant and non-hesitant adopters.