In this session, participants learned about recent studies supporting the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccination in pregnancy. Speakers identitifed common concerns patients cite when hesitant to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in pregnancy, and strategies for talking to patients, friends and family to encourage vaccination while pregnant.

Learn from Phoenix Matthews, PhD, Associate Dean for Equity and Inclusion Professor of Clinical Psychology at University of Illinois at Chicago, and their research in understanding and intervening on the factors associated with health inequalities among socially marginalized populations. We explored the compounded challenges nurses are facing in the healthcare space and community, including grief, institutional racism, and burnout.

Deborah Washington, PhD, RN, and John Nguyen-Yap, MSW shared on-the-ground initiatives in BIPOC communities, including services that promote culturally competent care and successful Public Service Announcements. We also explored strategies to improve access to vaccine education and distribution among Asian American (AA), Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) communities.

In this session, we learned key insights to building and sustaining successful community partnerships to support the COVID response. We heard from Trey George, President and CEO of Topeka Housing Authority and Mari Tucker, RENEW Partnership Liaison at Washburn University School of Nursing, who shared more about their unique partnership and community-based approach.

In this session, we explored innovative partnerships that engage students to support COVID-19 education, outreach, and vaccine efforts. Our panel of nursing experts discussed how to mobilize a student workforce through schools of nursing and collaboration with regional Area Health Education Centers (AHECs).

This interactive workshop walked nurses through how to combat misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccine using NNCC's toolkit.

Mardi Moore, Executive Director of Out Boulder County and Christina Graham Brasavage, Data & Evaluation Manager from the Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center discussed their community-led statewide and regional studies on vaccine hesitancy among the LGBTQ+ community.

In this session, we discussed operational strategy and communications for planning a safe return to school amid COVID-19. We shared available guidance and resources to support communities, school-based health providers, and leaders in education and public health.

Nurses on the front line share their insights on addressing vaccine hesitancy and lessons learned through COVID-19 while working with tribal communities. We hear on-the-ground strategies from Janet Reich, RN, MSHSA and Sausha Nells, RN, BSN, nurses on the Navajo reservation and Erin McCanlies, PhD, an epidemiologist who works on the Tribal Support Section in CDC.