Vaccines: Boon or bane-a nurse's Outlook

As a profession, nurses work with the health care community to ensure safe and effective vaccine practices for all population groups while educating vaccine-leery patients and families. However, today's nurses, along with other health care professionals, face the challenge of disputing many myths and misconceptions regarding childhood and adult vaccinations. Nurses have the opportunity, with their education and trusted communication skills, to play an important part in restoring the triumphant vaccine boon of the twentieth Century to its previous prestige and replace the twenty-first century vaccine bane. This chapter will discuss the many vaccine education, advocacy, and leadership roles of registered nurses and advanced practice nurses in a variety of health care settings.