Delaware County taps nursing students to aid in mass COVID-19 vaccination; more volunteers needed

CHESTER, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- The Citizen Corps of Delaware County says it needs help administering the vaccine and the nursing students at Widener University are answering the call.

Gabrielle Smyser is a senior nursing student at Widener University. She's about to get some serious real-world training before she graduates.

"We are definitely honored for sure. This is something that has truly shaken us all to our core," said Smyser.

Smyser says they've already been trained, vaccinated and are eager to assist when the mass vaccinations start.

"To help people bring normalcy back to their lives, just day by day, is really something astronomical," said Smyser.

She's one of the hundreds of volunteers the Citizen Corps of Delaware County says they have, and still need, in order to complete the monumental task ahead.

Ed Kline with the Delaware County Emergency Managements is coordinating the recruitment effort. He says it's a simple message: they need help.

"To the local nurse and to the local medical professional, it's their community asking them for help and they can do that in just a couple hours a week or several hours a week," said Kline.

Dr. Anne Krouse, the dean of the Widener School of Nursing, says their students are ready to answer the call.

"They're excited about it. They want to get in there and be a nurse. We have about 150 seniors that will be participating. We can also bring our juniors in," said Krouse.

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