Hi everyone,
I wanted to pass along a message below from a team of researchers that CASN has been partnering with for the last few years. The team is studying the provision of vaccinations to students through their schools, including through school-based health centers and at temporary, "pop up" events coordinated by school nurses. Please let me know if you have any questions about the information provided below, and thank you so much for considering engaging in this important research. You can respond to the team directly by clicking on the link in the message.
Thanks so much,
Tammy Jeffery
President-Elect, CASN
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From the research team:
My name is Laura Faherty, and I'm a pediatrician and a health policy researcher at RAND, a nonprofit research organization. With funding from the National Institutes of Health, my team is studying the delivery of preventive health care services in Colorado public schools, with a focus on immunizations. We're interested in learning how schools, in partnership with school-based health centers, have navigated the challenges of keeping students up to date on vaccines during and since the pandemic.
I'm reaching out because our team is conducting a series of one-hour, virtual group interviews over the next several weeks with school nurses and others involved in offering vaccines to students. These interviews will be voluntary, insights will be kept anonymous, and participants will be offered $100 for their time. This study is approved by the RAND Human Subjects Protection Committee (IRB), (Study ID: 2024-N0292).
If you're interested in participating, please copy and paste this link into your browser to register to be considered for an interview: https://respond.rand.org/wix/p599571109496.aspx
Please let us know if you have any questions about this study (Contact: dschlang@rand.org, and see FAQs below*), and thank you for your interest!
Many thanks for your time,
Laura Faherty, MD, MPH, MSHP and Ashley Gromis, PhD
Co-Principal Investigators
And Danielle Schlang, Survey Coordinator
RAND
*Frequently Asked Questions about this Study
What is this study about?
This study is broadly about how Colorado public schools offer preventive health care for students, including the challenge and successes on making sure students are up to date on their vaccines. The study team is interested in the perspectives of a variety of district and school leaders and staff (such as school nurses, principals and assistant principals, superintendents), as well as their partners in local public health departments and health care organizations, including school-based health centers.
Who is conducting this study?
This research is being conducted by a team of researchers at RAND, a non-profit, non-partisan research organization. The study is funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and is approved by the RAND Human Subjects Protection Committee (IRB), (Study ID: 2024-N0292).
What am I being invited to do?
Share your perspectives on schools, including school-based health centers, as a location to offer vaccinations in a one-hour, virtual interview (either in a group with people who are in a similar role as you or as a 1:1 discussion). We will ask about factors that influenced decisions your district, school, or school-based health center made about offering vaccinations (or not) during and since COVID.
Will these interviews ask about anyone's personal vaccination status, views on vaccines, school vaccine requirements, or school or district student vaccination rates?
No, these topics are outside of the scope of this study. Instead, we are interested in your perspectives on what helps and hinders schools (including school-based health centers) from serving as a site that offer vaccines to students.
Will my comments be linked to my name?
No, any information you share will not be publicly associated with your name, your school, your district, or your school-based health center. All your comments will be anonymous.
What are the benefits of participating in this study?
While there are no direct benefits to you as an individual, we hope that by incorporating your views on this topic, we can inform school and public health leaders about the benefits and challenges of schools as a vaccination site for students, both in Colorado and beyond.
Will I be compensated for my time?
Yes, we are offering a $100 gift card in appreciation of your valuable time and insights, if you're able to accept it.
Who do I reach out to if I have questions about this research?
If you have questions or concerns about the study that you would like to share with someone not part of the study team, please contact RAND's Human Subjects Protection Committee, and reference study #2024-N0292. This committee is charged with ensuring the ethical treatment of individuals who are participants in RAND studies, and it can be reached via phone or email: 1-866-697-5620 (toll free); hspcinfo@rand.org
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Tammy Jeffery, MSN-PH, RN, NCSN
CASN President 2023-25
Director of Health Services, Boulder Valley School District
tammy.jeffery@bvsd.org616.550.7210 (call or text, no vm please)
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