increased statism for nurses

[fatkitty]

I just got hired for a job at a clinic which is funded by the state. They forced me to have a flu shot and screened my cholesterol and other vaccinations. This is too much for me and the more I thought about it the more I did not want to work for such controlling people. This is too much into my personal business. There are many more doctors and nurses dropping out of the field just because they don't want to be controlled by the cholesterol and diet police.

[LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN]

I wonder why this is an issue; it has NOTHING to do with who is in office, the economy, chocolate, etc...having a physical and full lab panels as well as drugs screens have been around for decades; it's a standard practice in terms of being free of communicable diseases and healthy enough to perform the actions of the position. That is required, and one has a choice to accept it or not, and the employer will find someone else.

[PurpleLover]

I do not believe they forced you. I do believe you did things you felt were against your beliefs of what is right and wrong and now you want to be a victim.

I am sure all they did were state what criteria had to be met for employment. You made the choice to go along with it.

I doubt they had an armed guard following you to ensure you complied. If you were unwilling, I am positive other applicants were willing.

[elkpark]

I wouldn't call it "statism" -- the last couple employers I've worked for, neither of which was a public facility/service (both private non-profit "healthcare systems") both required health screening, including BMI, cholesterol levels, smoking status, etc., which were tied to discounts on healthcare insurance costs for employees. This has nothing to do with the Affordable Care Act; lots of healthcare employers were starting this before Obama was even elected. It's about trying to save money on outrageous healthcare insurance policies, and encouraging/coercing employees to take steps to improve their health.

[Nurse SMS, MSN, RN]

I work for a private for-profit hospital that required ALL of these things. It has nothing to do with the government. It has everything to do with the rising cost of offering insurance to employees and trying to reduce overhead as well as protecting the patient population from those who are not immunized and therefore susceptible to communicable diseases as well as protecting the employee themselves from the same.

Welcome to working in healthcare. You obviously don't like it and don't like hearing this, but this IS the way it is and it isn't going to change. Sounds like you have some decisions to make before you pursue a career in healthcare. Nobody is victimizing you. You chose to submit to these tests. Believe me, they would have been more than happy to let you walk out the door and not be tested. There is no shortage of willing workers these days.