Semester

Summer

Date of Graduation

2021

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

MA

College

Eberly College of Arts and Sciences

Department

Communication Studies

Committee Chair

Daniel Totzkay

Committee Co-Chair

Megan R. Dillow

Committee Member

Christine E. Rittenour

Abstract

Nurses’ COVID-19 vaccination rates have been reportedly low for being among the first prioritized for vaccination. To understand and potentially explain uptake barriers, this thesis utilized the 5c Model, the Integrative Model, the Extended Parallel Process Model, Uncertainty Management Theory, and the Theory of Motivated Information Management. This project used an online survey with a convenience sample recruited through the WV Nurses Association. Specifically, there were 328 nurses recruited, then screened for fully vaccinated participants leaving an analytic sample of 174 West Virginia nurses who had not yet been vaccinated. Participants were asked about their nursing role, threat perceptions, susceptibility perceptions, efficacy perceptions, negative affect towards COVID-19, attitudes about COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccination, information behaviors, trust in information sources, vaccination social norms, nursing identity, vaccination plans, and demographics. The findings portray norms having influence over intention to vaccinate and was further evaluated through levels of fusion to the nursing identity group. These findings were discussed in terms of the role of uncertainty within vaccination decision-making and how identity influenced vaccination intention with recommendations as to how to use these findings as well as future directions for research.

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