CHPPR HPV Vaccination Initiative Launches Continuing Nursing Education Program

The All for Them vaccination initiative has launched a free Continuing Nursing Education course entitled “School Nurses are All for Them: HPV Vaccination in Schools.” This online, self-paced course was developed specifically for school nurses in Texas, but nurses and health professionals working in other settings are invited to take the course as well.

“Our goal is to help nurses realize their importance in helping parents make the decision to vaccinate their children against HPV and give them the tools to become HPV vaccine advocates,” says Paula M. Cuccaro, PhD.

With the aim of providing knowledge and skills to school nurses in Texas to become strong advocates for Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination, the course covers topics such as:

• HPV and HPV-related cancers and diseases
• HPV vaccination
• How school nurses can become champions for HPV vaccination
• Entry of HPV and other recommended vaccines into district records
• Influenza virus and the current state of flu in Texas

The research team interviewed eight HPV-related cancer survivors and those living with high-risk strains of HPV. Videos of their moving stories are included throughout the course, including direct messages to school nurses about HPV vaccination. Participants will also hear from fellow Texas school nurses about their approaches to HPV vaccination for students.

This CNE was developed in partnership with the Texas School Nurses Organization and Texas Pediatric Society. All for Them is led by Principal Investigator Dr. Cuccaro and Co-Principal Investigator Sally Vernon, PhD. The program is funded by the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, as well as The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center’s Be Well™ Baytown and HPV Vaccination Initiative. Additional information about the initiative can be found at: www.allforthemvaccines.com or by emailing Efrat Gabay, All for Them Program Manager at [email protected].

The course provides 1.5 hours of professional development (CEU) credits for nurses. Interested nurses can register at: https://tinyurl.com/HPVCNE.