Milwaukee VA Medical Center

Alyssa Ehlke, left, and Emma McKinch, UW-Green Bay student nurses, have been giving COVID vaccinations and learning valuable skills in the Green Bay VA Outpatient Clinic. They're also receiving tuition reimbursement for their work.

Call it a win-win-win-win.

Thanks to a program involving University of Wisconsin-Green Bay nursing students, many good things are happening at the Green Bay VA Health Care Clinic:

• Student nurses are getting hands-on experience by giving COVID-19 shots.
• The clinic is getting help in staffing vaccination clinics.
• The students are getting tuition aid.
• Veterans are being kept safe.

The COVID-19 Tuition Refund Program, launched last year by Tommy Thompson, interim University of Wisconsin System president, is yielding all those positive results.

The program allows nursing students to receive tuition credit of $500 if they log at least 16 hours in a clinic, giving COVID-19 shots.

While most of those students are working in community clinics, two students from UW-Green Bay are giving shots in the Green Bay VA clinic.

“It’s a neat experience,” said Alyssa Ehlke, a sophomore in her first year in the nursing program. “It’s nice that they’re giving us the practice, and we get a little extra money back for it. Plus I’m able to work through the pandemic.”

Her fellow student nurse Emma McKinch, a junior in her second year in the program, agreed.

“It’s awesome to be able to help with the COVID pandemic,” she said. “Normally I wouldn’t be giving intermuscular injections, so it’s awesome to be practicing them right away.”

For Gregg Gwidt, chief nurse for ambulatory care at the clinic, the students allow him more flexibility in scheduling vaccination clinics, which have been offered on most weekdays as well as some Saturdays since mid-January.

“It really helps with the staffing all around,” he said. “And it’s a really good experience (for the students).”

Mirroring 1918 efforts

According to Christine Vandenhouten, professor and chairwoman of nursing and health studies at UWGB, the program was inspired by UW’s response to the influenza pandemic of 1918-19.

“UW students played a role in addressing the 1918 pandemic … and Thompson believes UW students and faculty can absolutely play a big role in assuring our public is protected, educated and getting the care they need (during the current pandemic).”

While the $500 tuition reimbursement is a good incentive for the students, the hands-on training is invaluable, Vandenhouten said.

“This gives students an experience that, likely, they would never have while also serving the community,” she said.

“This is so unprecedented. They recognize that they are contributing to our community’s protection.”

Around 50 students are involved, which includes about 97 percent of the students in UWGB’s new pre-licensure BSN program. Vandenhouten hopes to boost that to 100 percent by the end of May. Also participating are students in the university’s MSN program.

McKinch and Ehlke are the only UWGB student nurses working in the VA clinic currently, but Gwidt said he hopes to bring on more.

“They seem to be really enjoying the hands-on experience,” he said. “Giving that many vaccines is something they wouldn’t normally do.”

Emma McKinch, a UW-Green Bay student nurse, practices her vaccination skills on Gregg Gwidt, chief nurse for ambulatory care at the Green Bay VA Outpatient Clinic.

Numerous benefits

Ehlke and McKinch said they have benefited greatly from the experience.

“It’s a great opportunity because if it wasn’t for the pandemic, we probably would not get this much experience giving vaccinations,” Ehlke said.

They also lauded the nurses who have shared their expertise with them.

“Everyone here is incredibly knowledgeable and always willing to help, which is the best thing,” Elhke said. “It’s a really cool opportunity.”

“I’ve really enjoyed my time here because we get to see so many different specialties,” McKinch said. “The nurses have been really helpful, letting us follow them into rooms and ask questions. It makes me excited.”

Working with Veterans

Working with Veterans has also been unique for them, especially compared to their peers working in the community.

And while most Veterans are eager to get the vaccine, the students have encountered some vaccine hesitancy.

Despite being there to get vaccinated, some Veterans have said they don’t believe the virus is real, while others have complained about masking and government overreach, Vandenhouten said.

That helps the students learn about communicating with patients, she said.

“They get to see the full spectrum of beliefs and philosophies about health care,” she said. “To respond to it is a really interesting learning experience.

“The students really come away with a greater appreciation for what Veterans have done for our country. … To be able to acknowledge their service in a very positive way is a wonderful opportunity.”

‘Part of history’

The students agreed, adding that the tuition reimbursement is especially helpful.

“It’s such a good opportunity, especially for people trying to pay for school, and help in their community and get their education,” McKinch said. “To have that all combined, you’re getting the best of all those worlds.”

“It’s a neat opportunity,” Ehlke said. “Plus we’re part of history.”