Immunization Coverage Report: Reflective Analysis of Immunization

This report focuses on an immunization coverage program designed to address the high prevalence of meningococcal disease in Australia, particularly in Tasmania. The program targeted individuals aged 11 to 24 seeking clinical assistance at a general practitioner clinic. The student, a health professional, reflects on their role in implementing a bexsero vaccination program, including designing awareness posters and conducting educational sessions. Using the Rolf reflective model (What, So What, Now What), the report details the identified issue of meningococcal disease, the actions taken to raise awareness and promote vaccination, and the lessons learned. The student gained in-depth knowledge of the disease's risk factors, symptoms, and the importance of herd immunity, enhancing their ability to provide health literacy and safe, responsive care to patients. The report emphasizes the importance of communication, empathy, and cultural sensitivity in improving patient outcomes and outlines plans to incorporate these skills into future practice, including further training in therapeutic communication.

Running head: IMMUNIZATION COVERAGE
Immunization coverage
Name of the student:
Name of the university:
Author note:

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Identified group and venue of the vaccination program:
Immunization has emerged as one of the most crucial public health concern for reducing
the morbidity rate in Australia According to Australian government department of health
amongst aged 14–16 years school students in Australia have experienced meningitis infection
(Www1.health.gov.au 2019).The Australian Department of health and welfare identified
vaccination or immunization coverage as the primary need of the population because of the high
prevalence of the communicable disease, especially meningococcal infection
(Www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au 2019). Marshall et al. (2016), reported more than 1200 cases in
the hospitals where patients are suffering from vaccine prevented disease which further increases
high morbidity rate of infants. Hence, A vaccination campaign was designed the general
practitioner clinic of the community where target audience would be the patients who are seeking
clinical assistance, especially the older teens aged 11 years to 24 years with the assistance of
general practitioners. Apart from the vaccination, free screening along with health literacy
session was provided to the audience regarding the risk factor of the disease, how vaccination
help to reduce it. This paper will illustrate the process of vaccination through a role model of
reflection.
Rolf reflection model:
Reflective model of Rolf is considered as one of the simplest models used in nursing
practice and it was designed by Gary Rolf. The model comprises three questions “what, so what
and now what” where the first stage provides the description of the experienced during any
events and analyses for moving forward with the learning and identifying issues in the practice
(Heckemann et al. 2015). So what defined considered as the step taken for improving the
practice by overcoming the issues identified in the experience and now what defined as the

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action plan which would be conducted to improve nurse practice (Heckemann et al. 2015). The
framework of the Rolf model is the following:
What:
The main issue identified in this event is that high prevalence of the meningococcal
disease in the territory of Australia, especially Tasmania due to the regional outbreak of the
infection and the infection is still prevalent in this area. Meningococcal infection is a deadly
bacterial infection induced by causative agent Neisseria meningitis which triggers the
inflammation of the membrane which covers the brain and spinal cord. The target audience for
this vaccination poster was individuals of 11 to 24 years who are seeking clinical assistance from
the clinic. My role in this case scenario is health professional who is working in the general
practitioner clinical where a bexsero vaccination program was designed in the first half of 2019.
In order to accomplish the project, a poster was designed for raising awareness amongst the
population regarding the infection and bexsero vaccination programs for the target group. The
weekly session was conducted where face to face communication was done with other health
professionals. While few of the volunteers made the poster for the awareness, other volunteers
assist in delivering this script as an educational tool for reaching to the audience. The script was
evidence-based which encompasses statistics of the prevalence in Australia, risk factors and
symptoms of the infection, facilities available for the population who are experiencing the
infection. The delivery method of the poster was reaching to every individual who is seeking
help from the clinic.
So what:
The project aimed to raise awareness against the meningococcal infection and promote
bexsero meningococcal vaccination b to spread herd immunity amongst 11 to 24 years who are

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seeking help from the clinic. Herd immunity is considered as indirect protection method from
the non-communicable disease which is provided to the population with help of vaccination
before conducting the project, I was unaware of the symptoms and risk factors of the infection
and I was unaware of the fact that majority of the individuals have minimum literacy regarding
the infection. While designing the project and delivering the project, I have gather identified the
risk factor such as smoking, kissing, infectious individuals, throat discharge of the infected
individuals and symptoms of the infection include fever, rashes in the skin, confusion, severe
throat infection, Severe, persistent headache, joint pain, discomfort, and nausea.
The expected outcome for the health professionals, in this case, would gather in-depth evidence-
based knowledge of the infection and by providing the script based poster, health professionals
would be able to provide health literacy regarding the infection and able to the engage them in
the free screening and vaccination of bexsero in the clinic. It will also help to engage patients in
effective communication and listen to the concern of the patients who are experiencing health
issues. It will empower patients, breach the communication barrier, boost their self-esteem and
encourage them to adhere to the vaccination process.
Now what:
While conducting the promotion of the immunization coverage, I have gathered in-depth
knowledge of the risk factors of the meningococcal, symptoms and bexosero vaccines which I
will incorporate in my future practice. While making scripts and poster, I have conducted
thorough research for gaining the understanding of the underlying reason behind the high
prevalence of the infection in Australia with the collaboration of other health professionals. It
will further assist me in providing safe and responsive care to the patients. While delivering the
script, I had the opportunity to communicate with the patients who seek clinical assistance

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which further facilitates my collaborative, interpersonal skills. I was able to emphasize the
patients who are experiencing consequences of the infection and able to gather the underlying
reason that hindered them from seeking help and other special needs of them. This project also
offered me the opportunity to gather the understanding of psychological make up the patients,
their cultural beliefs and encourage them to receive the vaccination. Consequently, it enhanced
my professional skills of empathy and modify professional values which will further aid in
improving decision making. I will use these acquired skills in my future practice while
providing safe and responsive care to the patients and I will engage myself in the training so that
I can engage clients in the therapeutic communication. I will incorporate it in my professional
values and beliefs while providing care which will help me to achieve a positive patient outcome.

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References:
Heckemann, B., Schols, J.M. and Halfens, R.J., 2015. A reflective framework to foster
emotionally intelligent leadership in nursing. Journal of Nursing Management, 23(6), pp.744-
753.
Marshall, H., Wang, B., Wesselingh, S., Snape, M. and Pollard, A.J., 2016. Control of invasive
meningococcal disease: is it achievable?. International journal of evidence-based
healthcare, 14(1), pp.3-14.
Www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au 2019. Meningococcal disease. [online] Betterhealth.vic.gov.au.
Available at: https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/
meningococcal-disease [Accessed 31 Jul. 2019].
Www1.health.gov.au 2019. Department of Health | Meningococcal Disease (Invasive). [online]
Www1.health.gov.au. Available at:
https://www1.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/ohp-meningococcal-W.htm
[Accessed 31 Jul. 2019].