Are you required to get a flu shot in the nursing program?

[cee cee g]

I am a curious pre-nursing student fall 2014 acceptance hopeful. Thanks 4 the answer.

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

The answer is while the school may not require it...the hospital will. The answer is yes.

[Zelda21]

The hospitals I do clinical for require it, not so much my school.

[smoup]

We have to get it for clinicals. No flu shot, no clinicals.

[krisiepoo]

Yes, we have to get a flu shot because the hospitals we'll be at require it.

[Jenngirl34RN]

Our school does not require it, but most of the hospitals do. There are a couple of hospitals in our area that will allow clinical students to submit a declination form, but they are then required to wear a mask any time they interact with patients.

[akulahawkRN, ADN, RN, EMT-P]

The program I'm in strongly suggests getting the flu shot. It's a whole lot easier to deal with the hospitals if all (or most) of the students doing clinical time there have gotten the shot than having lots of students opt-out. There is an opt-out process and it requires that the students wear a surgical mask any time they're inside the hospital. Quite literally, from the moment they enter the doors to the moment they leave, they're supposed to have a mask on the whole time!

As to the rest of the vaccinations, we're required to have all of our vaccinations done, or have some sort of a specific religious need/desire to not be vaccinated. Effectively speaking, we have to be 100% vaccinated for a list of things, most of which we normally are vaccinated against during childhood anyway.

[pmabraham, BSN, RN]

Good day:

For every nursing program in our area, flu shots appear to be a requirement; I'm not sure if they give waivers. Before I started my prerequisites (for which I'm still doing) for an RN program, I was against flu shots (not vaccines in general, just flu shots).

Right now, I'm taking a basic microbiology course, and I'm learning how how all studies against the flu shots are extremely flawed. While I don't like the ideas of no choice and the idea that the success of the flu shot varies greatly (some years fantastic, other years the weather person gets the weather right more often), the facts are present that the flu shots do more good than (personal or otherwise) harm. Therefore, when the time comes I do plan on getting a flu shot.

Thank you.

[Kuriin, BSN, RN]

Flu shots are required. However, waiver forms are available for those who have allergic reactions. Downside is, you have to wear a face mask all day during clinicals.

[rubato, ASN, RN]

Yep. We have to give each other flu shots next week in clinicals. Hospitals don't want you there without them.

[lifelearningrn, BSN, RN]

Start your vaccines now- including the Hep B which takes months to complete. Make sure you have all your childhood records, or order titers for MMR and Varicella.. and get those if you're not already immune. It's great to be on top of this, that way you're not freaking out trying to get it done under a clock.

[JillyPlot]

I agree with moonchild about starting vaccines now. I have some people who were supposed to start this past spring but had to defer to fall because of vaccinations. But, we are required to get the flu shot. One of my classmates who got Guillan Barre from a flu shot was required to get it.