I'm a nursing student and have Guillain-Barré Syndrome

[Becky96]

When I was in second grade I had gullian burae syndrome for two weeks and I fully recuperated . However , I can't get flu shot because it cud re-trigger gullian burae syndrome .I am starting nursing school in fall 2015 and my nursing liaison got me a clinical hospital that does not require flu shot . I just want to hear what people think of my situation and do you think it will be a problem getting a good job in a a good hospital after I graduate thank you .

[lovesongajp]

It's not wearing a mask because of the disease, it's wearing a mask because they are unable to obtain the flu shot, regardless. Same rule applies where I work, a mask or the shot is required for every employee.

[FlyingScot, RN]

Never heard of a nurse having to wear a mask during flu season because of that disease.........

She won't have to wear a mask because of the GB. She will have to wear a mask because she can't get the flu shot.

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

Unfortunately for those who must wear masks because of contraindications to receiving the flu shot (and there are far fewer of those nowadays with the advent of egg-free, preservative-free formulations), you should expect to wear a mask for approximately six months out of every twelve. Sorry!

[Becky96]

Thank you for your responses . Do you know if a hospital can reject me because i refuse to get the flu shot ? Will it limit me from getting a job in a top hospital eventually ? ( I'm just a tad worried)

[JustBeachyNurse, LPN]

Thank you for your responses . Do you know if a hospital can reject me because i refuse to get the flu shot ? Will it limit me from getting a job in a top hospital eventually ? ( I'm just a tad worried)

You have a medical contraindication that is well established where the risk is known to outweigh the benefit. You are the exception. You would be protected from discrimination. The only issue I can see is if there was an influenza pandemic/epidemic with an excessive amount of cases in the facility you worked for you may be reassigned to a different area to protect yourself and others. This should not be a barrier to employment. The bigger barrier to hospital employment is geography. If you are a new grad in an area such as NY, MA, PA, IL, CA you would compete with hundreds for a single job (you would not disclose your GBS until hired) so it would be your credentials & networking vs that of other candidates.

[llg, PhD, RN]

I work for a hospital that will not allow people to work without flu shots -- no exceptions. Masks are not allowed as a substitute. So yes, the OP needs to be prepared for the possibility that there may be some jobs she will be ineligible for.

Requiring immunizations to prevent the transmission of deadly diseases to vulnerable patients is not considered a form of discrimination -- at least not where I live. If you don't get your immunizations (all of them), you don't work it. When influenza vaccine was added to the list of required immunizations a few years ago, several people resigned rather than get them ... and believe me, the lawyers checked out the legality of the controversial policy.

[VANurse2010]

I work for a hospital that will not allow people to work without flu shots -- no exceptions. Masks are not allowed as a substitute. So yes, the OP needs to be prepared for the possibility that there may be some jobs she will be ineligible for.

Requiring immunizations to prevent the transmission of deadly diseases to vulnerable patients is not considered a form of discrimination -- at least not where I live. If you don't get your immunizations (all of them), you don't work it. When influenza vaccine was added to the list of required immunizations a few years ago, several people resigned rather than get them ... and believe me, the lawyers checked out the legality of the controversial policy.

Here's the problem - a medical contraindication could be considered a disability. If your workplace is unwilling to furnish reasonable accommodations, such as a mask, they may be running awry of the ADA. Your hospital's lawyers may think it's legal, but that doesn't make it legal (I'm personally not saying it isn't, either).

[llg, PhD, RN]

Here's the problem - a medical contraindication could be considered a disability. If your workplace is unwilling to furnish reasonable accommodations, such as a mask, they may be running awry of the ADA. Your hospital's lawyers may think it's legal, but that doesn't make it legal (I'm personally not saying it isn't, either).

If in doubt, check with an attorney. We are nurses here, not attorneys with expertise in disability law.

The ADA is not as "loose" as some people think it is. It's actually fairly difficult to "win cases" with it. All I know is that in my job, I am required to enforce the strict requirement -- and I know that when the controversial rules went into effect a few years ago, our corporate attorney contacted some experts and concluded that we were within the law to have a strict policy. While a few employees threatened to sue us when they were forced to get immunized or give up their jobs, no one actually took us to court.

Back the OP's original question. Yes, some employers require yearly influenza inoculation (shot or nasal vaccine) ... and wearing a mask is not always an option. Be prepared to encounter that possibility in your career. You are wise to be raising the question.

[MunoRN, RN]

Here's the problem - a medical contraindication could be considered a disability. If your workplace is unwilling to furnish reasonable accommodations, such as a mask, they may be running awry of the ADA. Your hospital's lawyers may think it's legal, but that doesn't make it legal (I'm personally not saying it isn't, either).

A history of Guillain-Barre is not a contraindication to getting a flu shot so it's not a medical exemption, it would be considered a refusal for personal reasons.

[MunoRN, RN]

You should be OK since many if not most hospitals allow workers to decline for personal reasons and wear a mask during flu season. The issue would be if a hospital you want to work at only allows medical exemptions. A history of G.B. is only considered a precaution for the flu shot, and that's only if you got G.B. in the six weeks after getting a flu shot in the past. The CDC actually does recommend that those with a history of G.B. receive the flu vaccine if the risk of not being vaccinated could be considered high risk, which hospitals generally consider it to be.

[VANurse2010]

A history of Guillain-Barre is not a contraindication to getting a flu shot so it's not a medical exemption, it would be considered a refusal for personal reasons.

Perhaps, but medical contraindications do exist - and that policy doesn't sound like it makes accommodations for them.

And P.S. - it says right on the Influenza vaccine information sheet from the CDC that Guillain-Barre may be contraindicated for vaccination - check with your MD.

[VANurse2010]

If in doubt, check with an attorney. We are nurses here, not attorneys with expertise in disability law.

The ADA is not as "loose" as some people think it is. It's actually fairly difficult to "win cases" with it. All I know is that in my job, I am required to enforce the strict requirement -- and I know that when the controversial rules went into effect a few years ago, our corporate attorney contacted some experts and concluded that we were within the law to have a strict policy. While a few employees threatened to sue us when they were forced to get immunized or give up their jobs, no one actually took us to court.

Back the OP's original question. Yes, some employers require yearly influenza inoculation (shot or nasal vaccine) ... and wearing a mask is not always an option. Be prepared to encounter that possibility in your career. You are wise to be raising the question.

That's true, and nobody here claimed expertise in it.

And since nobody did sue, you really don't know how that would have played out.