Mandatory Vaccine Waiver in Nursing School/Clinicals

Nursing Students General Students

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Hey guys, I have a question for anyone else who is a fellow "non-vaccinator" or against mandatory vaccination. What did you do for nursing school, particularly clinical locations immunization requirements? After a lot of research, I've found that while many nurses can sign immunization waivers that are offered by some hospitals, etc., I haven't heard of a nursing student who has successfully avoided vaccination requirements associated with nursing school and clinical facilities.

I am well aware that vaccination is a very controversial subject in the medical field and many feel strongly on both sides of the issue. My intention is not to debate or discuss the merits of vaccinations, but to hear from other nurses and nursing students who challenged the vaccine requirements and how you went about it.

I look forward to hearing from you!

amynye said:
To the OP - While I 100% disagree with all of the logic and reason behind this fight - I must say I admire the willingness to as one poster said "dig your heels in". That being said, being a registered nurse in the United States anyways one would think that refusing to accept and abide by a primary tenant of self care - preventative vaccinations - isn't really copacetic?

On a side note I don't support the breeding and dissection of animals for medical research including my education. Enough people die every day and since humans are the only species benefiting directly from our education I strongly feel humans should be the only one's chopped up and used to advance research.

That was a fight with my instructor for AP2 that was VERY challenging for me and I decided not to cave. So I can understand going against the grain, but again this is one hell of a grain to go against.

The difference here is that the grain you went against had actual evidence to back your side up (by the way good job on this fight), while OPs has literally nothing because it has been disproven a million times over.

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Specializes in Surgery.

I would very cheerfully bet any named sum of money that it would involve more time to ride the legal battlewagon through that sort of court fight than is available to the OP for any employment anywhere doing anything for anyone, merely by virtue of running out of employable lifespan.

Not to mention an amount of money that would easily fund several full ride scholarships at any good 4 year university nursing program, public or private, urban or suburban.

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Specializes in Surgery.

Scary?? No - that's absolutely frightening.

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Specializes in Surgery.

Shame 5 years studying the rules and regulations of hard and fast, scientifically backed health care policies of the nursing schools and clinical sites, only to be interested in how to go about getting around them successfully, and becoming a health care practitioner who could have been done with school and a year into employment by now. And the clock keeps ticking while the costs involved keep going up. And up. And up some more. It's a highly competitive program, with hundreds of people lining up for a few jobs. And the clock keeps ticking......

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Specializes in Pedi.

Pedi nurse for 10 years here and I cannot see any pediatric clinical site allowing waivers. These hospitals are full of children who are not old enough to have received all of their vaccinations yet or cannot receive them on time because of their medical conditions.

I am not currently employed by a hospital but I liaise at one full time. Even though they are not my employer, I have to abide by their rules for vaccination which means getting the flu vaccine annually. The only exceptions to this mandation are a documented history of Guillain Barre Syndrome or a documented allergy to eggs. Employees who refuse to comply with this mandate are fired, students who refused to comply would not be allowed back to clinical.

When I was in nursing school and doing clinical at this hospital, there was a pertussis outbreak. Required TDaP boosters for everyone after that. I had to have titers drawn for varicella immunity when I started working at this hospital because I had chicken pox before the vaccine became available.

2 Votes
Specializes in Pedi.
firecracker_1 said:
According to the research that I have done, as well as the hospitals and multiple lawyers I have spoken to, the religious belief exemption is not affected (or founded) legally by the specific religion upon which the belief is founded; it is based on whether or the not the belief is "sincerely held" by the individual seeking said exemption, which must be collaborated through testimony given under penalty of perjury, as well as the agreement of testimony from persons who know you. Thus, it doesn't matter if the religion is "major," mainstream, or otherwise, nor does the label of the religion affect its legal standing.

So, basically, you don't actually have religious beliefs that oppose vaccination but are just claiming that you do to try to circumvent the requirements?

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firecracker_1 said:

Any through and sound research on any given topic requires evaluating *both* sides of the issue and every topic has two differing sides. The point is not to only research the findings of those who agree with you, but to honestly and objectively explore, examine, and educate oneself on both viewpoints, so that an unbiased and unprejudiced conclusion can be found.

Check out a podcast called Science VS by Gimlet Media. They basically do extensive literature reviews, speak to leading academics (on both sides), and lay out an objective dumbed down summary of their findings. Everything is fully fact checked and the resources are published on their website. They did a two part episode on vaccines and had very objective pros and cons backed up by peer reviewed research. They do a great job (in every episode) exploring every side of an issue, I've heard them conclude the oposite of "traditional" medical practice and theory, and I've even heard them say they don't know. It's also really entertaining. Their episode on immigration is great too.

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GaryRay said:
Check out a podcast called Science VS by Gimlet Media. They basically do extensive literature reviews, speak to leading academics (on both sides), and lay out an objective dumbed down summary of their findings. Everything is fully fact checked and the resources are published on their website. They did a two part episode on vaccines and had very objective pros and cons backed up by peer reviewed research. They do a great job (in every episode) exploring every side of an issue, I've heard them conclude the oposite of "traditional" medical practice and theory, and I've even heard them say they don't know. It's also really entertaining. Their episode on immigration is great too.

Thanks for posting! I listened to the podcast and it was really interesting. It did get me thinking about the whole debate and I looked at the schedule of childhood vaccines...they do have a lot of them out there compared to when I was a child! I can see where people are hesitant to dump that many vaccines into their child, though...that's a lot of vaccines for a little immune system to handle...but I sure wouldn't want to tempt fate by putting my child at risk of developing the diseases instead.

However, in regard to the OP, it makes me even less sympathetic for his/her plight. I fail to see what could possibly be holding OP back from complying with mandatory vaccines. All "scary" information seems to be related toward the effects on children, not adults, so I can't seem to wrap my mind around why vaccinations can't be obtained.

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At the end of the day it's a social contract. We get vaccinated to protect the people who can't. Herd immunity requires 93-95% of the population to be immunized or it stops working. It's not for you, it's for your patients. And they are the whole reason we are nurses. Immunizations are at the bottom of the list of occupational hazards that surround us at work. We handle chemo, biohazard waist, body fluids, plastics and off-gassing furniture carpet and paint are everywhere, everything is coated in cleaning products that contain carcinogens, UV lights are being used more because they are bacteriocidal, hell even the air we breath isn't always safe. Who here actually thinks they have a perfect seal every time they wear an N95? No one knows what a lifetime of exposure to that environment does to US. At least we know what immunization side effects are.

1 Votes
Specializes in ED.

I have to wonder why one would go into a healthcare field and willingly allow his/her patients to be exposed to preventable diseases that he/she could have played an active role in avoiding. If I knew I did, or did not do, something to harm my patient because of my own personal beliefs, what kind of advocate would I be for my patients?

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KeeperMom said:
I have to wonder why one would go into a healthcare field and willingly allow his/her patients to be exposed to preventable diseases that he/she could have played an active role in avoiding. If I knew I did, or did not do, something to harm my patient because of my own personal beliefs, what kind of advocate would I be for my patients?

This person clearly could not care less about exposing patients to potential illnesses. She is far more concerned about exposing herself to vaccines, in spite of the wealth of research testing their safety and efficacy. Funny how some people think that they are a lion in the face of a full strength infectious disease, but a fragile snowflake in the presence of a killed/attenuated virus/other micro organism in the form of a vaccine.

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Thanks - I was definitely the odd man out in lab for the course.... But I'm still glad I was - and to the OP: Regardless of what you think about vaccinations - How do you feel about the little ones with compromised immune systems UNABLE to be vaccinated - that would be exposed to the things you may contract and spread prior to having signs of illness during your career? I could care less if you get sick, as an adult you make a choice and deal with consequences. However you will be taking that choice away from those unable to be safely vaccinated due to pre existing conditions....

Just wondering if that had crossed your mind....

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