Hospital Requiring Employees to take H1N1 Vaccine

Circejane · Sep 16, 2009

I wore a mask quite a bit last winter when I had to work through several colds and when recovering from bronchitis. It wasn't fun, but it wasn't that big a deal, either. When people asked, I just said, "I have a cold, don't want to spread it!" and the patients and families were all fine. They were actually pretty happy about it, and a few thanked me for being so conscientious. To be honest, it was as much for myself as for everyone else--I didn't want to catch anything else! Our facility (LTC) required anyone who didn't get the regular flu vaccine last year to mask, although people only did it while the DON was around.

My point here is that masking is not a punishment or a scarlet letter, and it's also not so bad. If it protects patients (and ourselves), why is everyone making such a big freaking deal over it? I personally plan to get vaccinated for H1N1, but understand the concerns of those who aren't convinced that the vaccine is safe. But why all the hue and cry over discrimination and unfair singling out of unvaccinated nurses? It's all about patient safety, and how is that bad?

nicurn001 · Sep 16, 2009

The problem is the MANDATE and threat of discipline , upto and including termination of employment .Rather than educate staff and hopefully develop a pragmatic view of H1N1 precautions , such as Circejane has , some managements can't help themselves , they have to threaten punishment to force their employees to comply .

imaRN08 · Sep 16, 2009

It's all about patient safety, and how is that bad?

while it is partly about pt safety, its MUCH more about individual's RIGHTS! I have been a nurse for 4 yrs - worked LTC and acute. i have NEVER received a seasonal flu vaccine as a nurse... and never will. what is with this way of thinking about just forcing people to do whatever and say "deal with it or else"??!!! I will not be forced into recieving a vaccine that we know very little about. I dont even think we know a whole lot about the actual virus yet. In my facility, we are not forced to take the vaccines, or wear a mask everywhere if we refuse. for the facilities that have a mask policy--- do they make all visitors wear masks too??? probably not.

UM Review RN, ASN, RN · Sep 16, 2009

I guess the next question is-- exactly how effective is a mask if the virus is aerosolized?

lsyorke, RN · Sep 16, 2009

I guess the next question is-- exactly how effective is a mask if the virus is aerosolized?

Not effective at all...the CDC has stated this. The N95 would be required and if anyone has attempted to wear an N95 for any length of time you KNOW how unreasonable it is to expect someone to wear it for 12 hours.

This is pandering to the panic. How about we treat this flu like we treat any other flu? Instruct patients in handwashing, proper use of tissues etc.... instead of the "feel good", oh she has a mask on I don't have to worry.

Unless everyone in the world wears a mask at all times this flu is going to spread. Basic precautions are the best defense. Not over the top fear mongering like having to wear a mask.

imastudentnurse · Sep 16, 2009

Tell them to kiss a fat baby's @ss!

CrunchRN, ADN, RN · Sep 17, 2009

Tell them to kiss a fat baby's @ss!

Yeah, because it is so fun to be unemployed and try to pay your mortgage........ :confused:

chicookie, BSN, RN · Sep 17, 2009

"...And I'm not a Jehovah's Witness or anything, so I couldn't get exempt there either."
Correction. You do NOT need to prove affiliation with an accepted organized religion to "prove" religious beliefs.

One comment on the the first point (I couldn't find the original quote.)

What does being a JW have to do with it? The only thing JWs do not accept is blood. Minor fractions of blood are up for grab. Each individual had to decide if they can or can not. The flu vaccine does not have a fraction in it. The only vaccines that have fractions of blood in them are the ones you recieve after you are exposed to a disease. The flu vaccine isn't one of them. Just a little FYI for you guys.

imastudentnurse · Sep 17, 2009

Yeah, because it is so fun to be unemployed and try to pay your mortgage........

unemployed vs. unknown side affects. tick, tick...Are you 100% sure it will not have any adverse effects?

I still smell a legal issue. It's too bad you have to drink the kool aid to keep your job. baaaa baaaaa

CrunchRN, ADN, RN · Sep 17, 2009

Older and wiser and more to lose apparently. Not an issue for me because it is not required where I work. You better believe though that given a choice of having my lovely home and pool and nice car and taking the vaccine that is most likely ok then I would choose to preserve my life style. Other jobs are not plentiful for nurses right now. To each his own.

bobarb, BSN, RN · Sep 17, 2009

It seems to me that employers (in my case, hosp. admin.) want/requires us to get the vaccine, and most of the RN's -including me- have no intention of getting the vaccine......like someone said, it's a crapshoot, but why would I trust the FDA and CDC anyway? They have screwed up a lot in the past, and I just think this is a lot of hoo-hah anyway. Wow, I do sound like an old crabby nurse, don't I? :-)

JJGRN · Sep 23, 2009

No, it's not a public school, it's a community college where I take my nursing classes. They have made it pretty clear that we either get the vaccinations or fail our clinicals.

Most likely the schools are requiring the vaccines because the hospitals where they are doing the clinicals are requiring it. Our hospital is requiring the vaccine for all employees as well as any students, vendors, contracted employees, etc. that work in our facility. If the school or company can't provide us with proof of vaccination, the student/vendor/contracted employee will lose their priveleges with us until the requirement is met.