Nurse: 'I was fired for refusing flu shot'

Nurses COVID

Published

First of all, I never said I was opposed to all vaccinations. I think the flu shot is a different category than other vaccines.

Those of you who say things like people who don't get the flu shot are guilty of exposing people to the risk of death and should get out of the medical profession probably go to work with that last little bit of cold or respiratory infection. My point is that what you are saying others should do or they are guilty of endangering lives probably do the same thing yourself and kind of brush over it.

In my mind, we should all be able to make reasonable choices for ourselves and not have it mandated. So, if you have the belief that you should get the flu shot, by all means get it. But it is my belief and opinion that it should not be mandated. All I want is the freedom of my beliefs.

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The bottom line is that if you want to attend certain schools or work at certain facilities and they require the flu shot then you have to do it.

If you don't want to do it then do not go there.

All the millions of pages of philisophical (?sp) argument and righteous indignation do not change that.

There are plenty of things that employers can dictate and then you decide and vote with your feet.

I find it ludicrous to have all this yada yada on the subject.

Well, I might agree with you except that when I signed up there was not this requirement. They changed the rules after I quit my job and started school.

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Specializes in Clinical Research, Outpt Women's Health.

I agree that having them change the game rules in the middle sucks. However, you just have to decide and deal with it. And I say that whether you are for or against it. It is just the kind of aggravation life dishes out unfortunately.

As you can tell I have grown old to the point of no longer tilting at windmills - LOL!

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Yes, life does dish these things out. So, when you do not tilt at windmills, does that mean you just go with the flow? Or does that mean you make your own rules by charting your own course and looking for areas to work where you can stay true to yourself?

Basically, you can tilt at a windmill two ways, by being blown over anytime a rule is made not in your favor or by being blown the other direction and doing what you are told without question. An oak usually stands strong within themselves and simply does not blow over in either direction. I do weary of these types of battles. I am not young. I try to avoid them by seeing them coming down the pike and choosing before they arrive. However, sometimes that can't be avoided and decisions have to be made. I am in the decision making process at the moment. I don't know what I am going to do right now but I am waiting to see what my options are. Time will tell.

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First of all, I never said I was opposed to all vaccinations. I think the flu shot is a different category than other vaccines. . . .

Just what is it about flu vaccinations that makes them different than all the other life-saving vaccinations that people receive?

Well, I might agree with you except that when I signed up there was not this requirement. They changed the rules after I quit my job and started school.

Yes, it is an unfortunate change in the requirement, but it may help you make an important career decision.

You should recognize, based on various threads here, that flu vaccinations are going to become more and more mandatory in the future. If you have such negative concerns about mandatory flu vaccinations, now may be the time to think about choosing a new career before you invest more money and time in your nursing education.

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Specializes in Peds/Neo CCT,Flight, ER, Hem/Onc.
Well, I might agree with you except that when I signed up there was not this requirement. They changed the rules after I quit my job and started school.

My guess is that they didn't change the rules just for the school but that the clinical sites willing to take their students have it as a requirement and it was easier just mandating it from the get go. I can pretty much guarantee that no matter what school you chose you would eventually have had to get a flu shot to meet clinical site requirements and the school is not required to provide you an alternative site.

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Just what is it about flu vaccinations that makes them different than all the other life-saving vaccinations that people receive?

Yes, it is an unfortunate change in the requirement, but it may help you make an important career decision.

You should recognize, based on various threads here, that flu vaccinations are going to become more and more mandatory in the future. If you have such negative concerns about mandatory flu vaccinations, now may be the time to think about choosing a new career before you invest more money and time in your nursing education.

Maybe so.

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Specializes in Clinical Research, Outpt Women's Health.

Both. I do go with the flow. Unless it is truly worth a battle and winnable. In this situation i would deem it not worth the battle and not winnable.

Now, if I thought I would be forced to take something really risky i would fight the battle or go elsewhere.

Subjectively, to me, this particular issue just does not seem worth it because I doubt you will change the policy. But if you feel it is worth all this energy more power to you. Different strokes for different folks.

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Maybe it isn't worth it. Maybe this isn't the right job for me. This issue matters to me. And, no, I don't think I want to constantly fight this battle year after year. I don't have the energy. But, basically, what the nursing profession is going to end up with is one unified voice because all the other voices will have been silenced. That, to me, is alarming.

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Specializes in Clinical Research, Outpt Women's Health.

Oh definitely alarming, but what I have learned after 20 years of being a nurse is that often times nurses are their own worst enemy because there is so much infighting and backstabbing. I have not seen them stand up and hang together for a united cause ever. Sad but true.

And now with this economy and all the zillions of nurses to choose from I predict employers will be more adamant about the flu shot issue than ever. I also saw an advisory from some highly placed science dude advising that all facilities require it this year.

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.
Maybe it isn't worth it. Maybe this isn't the right job for me. This issue matters to me. And, no, I don't think I want to constantly fight this battle year after year. I don't have the energy. But, basically, what the nursing profession is going to end up with is one unified voice because all the other voices will have been silenced. That, to me, is alarming.

Sometimes, when experts come to a consensus about a issue ... they are right. One unified voice advocating for improved practice can be a good thing. No one is silencing voices on this issue. The scientific work to study and improve vaccines is ongoing. If new evidence appears that raises questions about the safety or efficacy of the vaccine, then that new evidence will be used to change policies and practice. That's the beauty of science.

However, one of the other beauties of science is that as evidence mounts, employers (and individuals) have more information they can use to make decisions and set policies. In this case, scientists have reached a consensus that the benefits of the flu vaccines outweighs the risks for almost everyone. Leading scientitists and ethicists have agreed that the best evidence and the best ethical reasoning about the obligations that health care workers have to "do no harm" to their patients includes getting the influenza vaccine.

People disagreeing with those scientists and ethicists are still free to present their evidence in support of the opposing view and have it reviewed by the scientific and ethics community. And society is still obliged to base its policies on the best evidence available -- which happens to now be on the side of influenza vaccine.

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Yeah, that's another thing. I had never even heard of this glut of nurses until I was sitting in nursing class. EVERYTHING I have read up until this point is about a shortage.

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