Can I still be a nurse?

Students Pre-Nursing

Published

Practically all nursing schools I've looked into require vaccinations of some sort. Unfortunately I don't react well to vaccines. I had a PPD test last year that made my chest hot as an oven and a case of chronic fatigue that i'm still recovering from. I would need an MMR shot (low immunity to measles, even though I had the shots as a kid) and a flu shot, and I won't get a flu shot. Is there an lax nursing schools out there that won't require shots, or is there a way around it? Some may say don't be a nurse but that's all I've ever really wanted to do and it's the only career that peeks my interest =/

Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.

I don't know of any schools that have accepted students without being vaccinate; the reasons that one needs to vaccinated is to protect the public-we have to make sure that we are not passing anything along to vulnerable pts who have lower immunities, so there may not be around it at all. I believe vaccination and information like background checks are disclosed to the facilities that students are allowed in, so if these files are not up to date, there will be no clinical experience. :no:

So in short-very slim chances of getting around this.

roser13, ASN, RN

6,504 Posts

Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.

No, there's no way around it. Not just schools & clinic sites, but employers as well. Every employer requires the basic vaccinations & many have moved to the required flu vaccine. At my job, no flu shot = no job.

So either decide to get the vaccines or dream a new dream.

KatieMI, BSN, MSN, RN

1 Article; 2,675 Posts

Specializes in ICU, LTACH, Internal Medicine.

What I just cannot get is how someone so sensitive to the tiny amount and limited range of antigens/chemicals in vaccines can even think of being in very close, prolonged contact with other human beings infected with all bugs known to humankind and tons of highly toxic chemical substances?

roser13, ASN, RN

6,504 Posts

Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.
What I just cannot get is how someone so sensitive to the tiny amount and limited range of antigens/chemicals in vaccines can even think of being in very close, prolonged contact with other human beings infected with all bugs known to humankind and tons of highly toxic chemical substances?

I'm always amazed at the folks who deny the science of influenza (or any other) vaccines, yet it's their dream to enter a field based in large part on the laws of science. And to be a patient educator in healthy living practices.

Purple_roses

1,763 Posts

At the end of the day, it isn't even the school's decision: the clinical sites mandate that students stay up to date on their vaccinations. It doesn't matter if the school wants to be lax or not--clinical sites dictate otherwise.

Specializes in SICU, trauma, neuro.

While I was in my RN-to-BSN program, prior to my public health practicum I came back susceptible to varicella and 2 of the MMR (can't remember anymore.) I was pregnant at the time so had to put schooling on hold until I could be re-vaccinated; I couldn't get a medical exemption, and I wasn't even subject to clinical sites' (hospitals, SNFs etc.) regs.

For the PPD all you'd have to do is get a chest x-ray and/or a blood test, and some hospitals give employees the option of wearing a mask ALL through flu season, but I doubt there is a way around the vaccines altogether. You'd be considered a liability -- your school can't risk you getting exposed, and the sites can't risk you exposing their patients.

You'll probably need to decide if your dream is big enough to suffer with the shots (assuming of course your reactions are NON life threatening. Obviously you can't risk your life)....or if you need to find a new dream.

Specializes in critical care, ER,ICU, CVSURG, CCU.

Sometimes, if your state permits, a physician may document vaccination endangers your health, some universities accept this....I have "mixed emotions, over four decades of experience, educated, , but my ace in the hole access...to Ultraviolet blood treatments.....but that is another "can of worms"....

you, may or may not have much of a choice, depending upon your demographics...

MunoRN, RN

8,058 Posts

Specializes in Critical Care.

It's going to be challenging since it's not really the nursing school's requirements you need to worry about, it's the facility policies where you will need to do clinicals. Hospitals tend to have very strict rules for allowing medical exemptions, if the Physician who reviews medical declination requests for the hospital determines that the reactions you've experienced are psychosomatic, for instance, and you still refused to meet their vaccination requirements, then you would not be allowed to continue in the program.

KatieMI, BSN, MSN, RN

1 Article; 2,675 Posts

Specializes in ICU, LTACH, Internal Medicine.
Sometimes, if your state permits, a physician may document vaccination endangers your health, some universities accept this....I have "mixed emotions, over four decades of experience, educated, , but my ace in the hole access...to Ultraviolet blood treatments.....but that is another "can of worms"....

you, may or may not have much of a choice, depending upon your demographics...

Doc can write whatever.

School can accept whoever.

An agency where you got to have your clinicals (SNF, hospital, school, soup kitchen, etc.) CANNOT afford massive liability if you get anything preventable by vaccination and come still in incubation period and infect somebody there. Therefore: no shots=>> no clinicals =>> no nursing school. Simple as it is.

People get pregnant, get cancer, get immunosupression, etc. all the time. If they are happen to be nursing students at that point of their lives, they are allowed medical leave till they can be vaccinated. People who are so sick that they cannot be vaccinated should probably not go through super-stresses of nursing school to begin with. And someone who just thinks that "my body doesn't accept any shots" definitely should start dreaming about something else.

Practically all nursing schools I've looked into require vaccinations of some sort. Unfortunately I don't react well to vaccines. I had a PPD test last year that made my chest hot as an oven and a case of chronic fatigue that i'm still recovering from. I would need an MMR shot (low immunity to measles, even though I had the shots as a kid) and a flu shot, and I won't get a flu shot. Is there an lax nursing schools out there that won't require shots, or is there a way around it? Some may say don't be a nurse but that's all I've ever really wanted to do and it's the only career that peeks my interest =/

Some vaccines make me feel extremely unwell. Tdap and MMR are the absolute worst. Others, like the flu vaccine, just make my arm a little sore. In every case, the effects are temporary, though.

If you've been feeling "chronic fatigue" for the past year, you should discuss that with your health care provider. There's a very good chance that it's not related to the PPD test you had ...and you're not likely to do well in school suffering from chronic fatigue, anyway.

Specializes in critical care, ER,ICU, CVSURG, CCU.

Exactly Katie,

+ Add a Comment