Volunteers' perceived preparedness, training, experiences and satisfaction in a mass COVID‐19 pandemic vaccine clinic

Abstract

AbstractIn this paper, we present formal and informal volunteers' perceived experiences of a mass vaccination clinic for COVID‐19 in central Texas. Volunteers at one or more of our team's vaccination events responded to an anonymous survey to share perceptions of their preparedness, training experiences, communication effectiveness and satisfaction, to help us identify opportunities to improve volunteer training and engagement for responses to pandemics. Overall, the volunteers perceived their work to be meaningful, felt prepared and were satisfied with their experiences as volunteers. A dedicated team that communicates well and emphasizes a team approach is key to success, especially in unprecedented situations such as the COVID‐19 pandemic. Implications for future volunteer training and involvement in disaster responses are discussed.