Making vaccine information easier to understand and use
Vaccine guidance can change quickly, and keeping clinicians up to date across a large health care system like MultiCare can be challenging. In 2025, ambulatory nursing professional development (NPD) specialists developed a systemwide approach to simplify vaccine education and support safe, consistent care for patients and families.
A comprehensive set of tools and resources
Rather than focusing on a single project, the team created a connected set of resources to meet the needs of clinicians across many ambulatory settings. This work included:
- Ambulatory vaccine education course. An evidence-based training program that keeps clinicians current on vaccine recommendations and best practices.
- Centralized vaccine resource hub. A one-stop internal site with up-to-date guidelines, tools and quick references.
- Interdisciplinary vaccine governance council. A group of nursing, pharmacy and medical leaders aligned on policies and systemwide consistency.
- Implementation tools and rapid communication. Rollout guides, huddle cards and alert systems to share important updates quickly.
- Live vaccine update sessions. Interactive sessions held throughout the year to walk through changes and answer questions.
Improving readiness across MultiCare
This coordinated approach helped reduce variation in vaccine practice across ambulatory sites and strengthened workforce readiness when new vaccines or updated recommendations were released. It also supported a culture of continuous learning, ensuring patients receive timely, accurate and evidence-based care.
The scale of this work highlights the power of partnership. By collaborating closely with pharmacy, medical leadership and other interdisciplinary teams — and by using technology to streamline access — the NPD specialists connected thousands of clinicians across the system with consistent, reliable vaccine information.
By creating integrated resources and fostering collaboration, the team strengthened clinical decision making, improved communication and supported safe vaccine delivery for patients and families.
Written by: Juliet Storm, RN, Ambulatory Nursing Professional Development Specialist, MultiCare Nursing Education and Professional Practice; and Lily Cabatan, RN, System Nursing Professional Development Specialist, Ambulatory, MultiCare Nursing Education and Professional Practice