Delainey Dietz was happy and relaxed as she sat under a large white tent, one of dozens set up in what was once a long-term parking lot near the Orlando International Airport now converted into a mass vaccination site for the community.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not nervous,\u201d she says, her eyes smiling above her face covering. \u201cI\u2019ve given shots before.\u201d Minutes later she carefully administered her first COVID-19 vaccination, marking a milestone in her college career and her contribution to combatting one of history\u2019s biggest public health threats. Her first patient sat calmly in the chair with his dress sleeve rolled up. He never flinched.<\/p>\n
Dietz, a senior, is one of almost 200 student nurses from UCF\u2019s main, Cocoa and Daytona Beach campuses who to date have served at five community vaccination sites. UCF is joining a nationwide effort, led by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, to engage nursing school students and faculty in the work underway to administer the vaccine and educate citizens.<\/p>\n