Other Titles
Rising Star Poster/Presentation
Abstract
As COVID-19 transitions into endemic management, understanding vaccination behaviors and beliefs among nursing students is critical given nurses’ roles in patient education and vaccine advocacy. This descriptive, cross-sectional study examined COVID-19 vaccination attitudes, booster uptake, infection history, and advocacy confidence among undergraduate Bachelor of Science nursing students at a public urban college. Forty-six students across three cohorts completed an anonymous online survey informed by the Health Belief Model (HBM) and the Vaccine Hesitancy Scale (VHS) following institutional review board (IRB) approval (IRB #2025-0805-York). Findings demonstrated near-universal completion of the primary COVID-19 vaccine series, contrasted by lower booster uptake. A majority of participants reported at least one prior COVID-19 infection, with a subset reporting multiple infections and lingering symptoms consistent with Long COVID. Most respondents agreed that COVID-19 vaccines prevent severe illness; however, endorsement of ongoing booster necessity was less consistent. Although many participants reported willingness to recommend COVID-19 vaccination to patients, a notable proportion expressed uncertainty regarding vaccine advocacy. Differences across cohorts indicated greater confidence and alignment with professional responsibility among more advanced students. Overall, the findings suggest that COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among nursing students does not present as outright refusal but rather as selective or delayed acceptance, particularly with respect to booster doses. These results highlight the importance of addressing ethical responsibility, professional identity formation, and lived experience within nursing education and practice to sustain vaccine confidence in an endemic COVID-19 context.
Notes
Reference list included as separate file.
Sigma Membership
Alpha Zeta
Type
Poster
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Cross-Sectional
Research Approach
Quantitative Research
Keywords:
COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy, Vaccine Hesitancy--Evaluation, COVID-19 Vaccines, Nursing Students, Baccalaureate Nursing Students, Student Attitudes, Booster Uptake, Endemic
Recommended Citation
Arana, Nicele Catherine Medel, "Examining COVID-19 Vaccination Attitudes and Behaviors Among Undergraduate Nursing Students" (2026). International Nursing Research Congress (INRC). 134.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/inrc/2026/posters_2026/134
Conference Name
37th International Nursing Research Congress
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Conference Year
2026
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record. All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository. All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.
Review Type
Invited Presentation
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Date of Issue
2026-10-01
Examining COVID-19 Vaccination Attitudes and Behaviors Among Undergraduate Nursing Students
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
As COVID-19 transitions into endemic management, understanding vaccination behaviors and beliefs among nursing students is critical given nurses’ roles in patient education and vaccine advocacy. This descriptive, cross-sectional study examined COVID-19 vaccination attitudes, booster uptake, infection history, and advocacy confidence among undergraduate Bachelor of Science nursing students at a public urban college. Forty-six students across three cohorts completed an anonymous online survey informed by the Health Belief Model (HBM) and the Vaccine Hesitancy Scale (VHS) following institutional review board (IRB) approval (IRB #2025-0805-York). Findings demonstrated near-universal completion of the primary COVID-19 vaccine series, contrasted by lower booster uptake. A majority of participants reported at least one prior COVID-19 infection, with a subset reporting multiple infections and lingering symptoms consistent with Long COVID. Most respondents agreed that COVID-19 vaccines prevent severe illness; however, endorsement of ongoing booster necessity was less consistent. Although many participants reported willingness to recommend COVID-19 vaccination to patients, a notable proportion expressed uncertainty regarding vaccine advocacy. Differences across cohorts indicated greater confidence and alignment with professional responsibility among more advanced students. Overall, the findings suggest that COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among nursing students does not present as outright refusal but rather as selective or delayed acceptance, particularly with respect to booster doses. These results highlight the importance of addressing ethical responsibility, professional identity formation, and lived experience within nursing education and practice to sustain vaccine confidence in an endemic COVID-19 context.
Description
As COVID-19 shifts to endemic management, this study examined vaccination attitudes, booster uptake, infection history, and advocacy confidence among 46 nursing students using the Health Belief Model and Vaccine Hesitancy Scale. While primary vaccine uptake was high, booster acceptance and advocacy confidence varied. Findings suggest hesitancy presents as selective acceptance rather than refusal, highlighting the need for stronger vaccine communication and promotion in nursing education.