CSUCI nursing students volunteering to help with COVID-19 vaccination

For Cal State University Channel Islands nursing student Carina Fasano it's hope that the vaccine is finally our answer to beating the coronavirus.

Fasano joined 200 other CSUCI nursing students volunteering to vaccinate people. Carina said she's cried with some of the people getting vaccinated especially the elderly.

CSUCI nursing professor Nancy Mitchell says the program's nursing student volunteers have administered roughly 1,500 shots in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. Now the volunteers are fanning out across Los Angeles County as well.

CSUCI nursing program chair Lynette Landry says the program will work with LA County Department of Public Health out of Dodger Stadium once that opens back up.

The volunteers are primarily composed of second and third-year nursing students getting trained by the Ventura County Department of Public Health along with medical professionals from multiple hospitals

CSUCI nursing faculty says multiple medical agencies contacted them a month ago asking for volunteers. Student nurses were eager to help.

Volunteer nursing student Mackenzie Hall says students in the program volunteer because they genuinely care and want to help people who need them.

CSUCI says all volunteers administering shots have been vaccinated themselves. Nursing facility officials also say all 19 nursing programs throughout the Cal State University system have joined the volunteer effort.

Landry says all 19 campuses are now actively engaged in the statewide effort.