My daughter is a 3rd year nursing student who is fighting cancer .
She was all set to start her clinicals this fall. Diagnosed in 2005 with Stage 2 Wilms Tumor, relapsed in 2007. Last course of treatment before we went into clinical studys earlier this year was a double stem cell transplant that wiped out her immune system . Titers ?? test shows she has some immunization to mumps, but limited on others. In March, We were told by her University that if the doctors said it was ok for her to do her clinicals it would be ok with them if she went thru with it. They have since changed there position and 3 weeks before school starts they are now saying she cannot do her clinicals thus ending her nursing dream.
I feel for your daughter, I truly do. I hope this medical trial helps to cure her of her illness.
That being said....
The immunizations are to protect the patients at the clinical sites. The school is at fault for dropping the ball on explaining this. You can pay for the attorney and get papers drawn up....but a hospital isn't going to compromise the health of their patients for a student. Think about it: if your immunocompromised daughter was in a hospital, would you want her caregiver to be a possible carrier for measles/mumps/chicken pox/insert any disease here? On the flip side, when she's doing her peds clinical she shouldn't be around any of the typical childhood illnesses.
Patient safety trumps everything. At my facility, visitors under 14 aren't permitted due to the elderly population. It's not fair, but it's realistic.
ShantheRN, BSN, RN
646 Posts
I feel for your daughter, I truly do. I hope this medical trial helps to cure her of her illness.
That being said....
The immunizations are to protect the patients at the clinical sites. The school is at fault for dropping the ball on explaining this. You can pay for the attorney and get papers drawn up....but a hospital isn't going to compromise the health of their patients for a student. Think about it: if your immunocompromised daughter was in a hospital, would you want her caregiver to be a possible carrier for measles/mumps/chicken pox/insert any disease here? On the flip side, when she's doing her peds clinical she shouldn't be around any of the typical childhood illnesses.
Patient safety trumps everything. At my facility, visitors under 14 aren't permitted due to the elderly population. It's not fair, but it's realistic.