Leaving Your Job Due to Mandate

Nurses COVID

Updated:   Published

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For those of you who have recognized your employer can terminate you for not taking the COVID vaccine and have decided on or are considering employment elsewhere please share your experiences here. How do you feel about having to make that choice? 

The purpose of this thread is not to condemn those making this decision or debate whether they should vaccinate or not. 

Specializes in NICU, PICU, Transport, L&D, Hospice.
19 minutes ago, ajdizzle43 said:

On Monday, more folks will lose that choice. But they held on this long right?

The only people who lose the choice to vaccinate on Monday are those too sick with covid to get vaccinated. Even they can choose to get vaccinated if they recover.  The people who will die from covid on Monday will lose their choice to vaccinate along with their lives.  

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Specializes in A variety.
40 minutes ago, ajdizzle43 said:

No, not at all. However, the added benefit for me is not social acceptance, it is empathy for the folks that are not vaccinating for *reasons*. I still don't care about social acceptance because of a vaccine, it's just another way to reach folks in truth. This vaccine validated every apprehensive rationale I had for *not* getting it. I went to the hospital, still couldn't work, and went against my own convictions, for the greater good. I felt like I betrayed myself by taking this shot, it was that deep. I felt alone, misled, and angry. But I was vaccinated though...

But now..I'm here, I'm alive, I'm good. I can truly understand why people are so passionate on both sides. Empathize, and hopefully help folks feel at peace with their decision, one way or another. Many folks have few choices in life. Taking this vaccine is one. On Monday, more folks will lose that choice. But they held on this long right?

Take care

Excellent points and thank you for sharing!

It's refreshing to hear a more neutral response 

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Specializes in Ortho, Med-Surg, Tele, Case Management.
1 hour ago, jive turkey said:

Excellent points and thank you for sharing!

It's refreshing to hear a more neutral response 

I agree, it is refreshing to hear a neutral response on here that is covid vaccine related. I'm vaccinated myself, but I've also been on both sides. 

Honestly all the negativity, bullying and judgmental comments on this topic I'm seeing on AllNurses is disheartening and sickening.

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Specializes in Geriatrics.

I mean, since we’re going down this path with *claws out* I will just say that this is a futile point to argue. Vaccines are health care community recommended just like using barrier contraceptives to lessen STI transmission. So I am not sure why we are all fighting. Many workplaces mandate the flu vaccine, to get into nursing school you have to have all your shots, so why is this a troubling conversation for health care providers? We’re not making burgers, we’re handling immunocompromised individuals fragile health…

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Specializes in A variety.
19 minutes ago, vintagegal said:

I mean, since we’re going down this path with *claws out* I will just say that this is a futile point to argue. Vaccines are health care community recommended just like using barrier contraceptives to lessen STI transmission. So I am not sure why we are all fighting. Many workplaces mandate the flu vaccine, to get into nursing school you have to have all your shots, so why is this a troubling conversation for health care providers? We’re not making burgers, we’re handling immunocompromised individuals fragile health…

That's part of the problem. You came in this discussion claws out. People seldom have rational discussions while having a fight defending themselves. 

As nurses we spend countless hours listening to what we perceive as irrational thoughys from patients. We take the time to learn more and deal with it.  But amongst ourselves it appears this talent wanes. Somehow there are nurses incapable of accepting that human beings have different perceptions despite sharing the same title and would rather fight with them than learn from them. 

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, Transport, L&D, Hospice.
27 minutes ago, jive turkey said:

That's part of the problem. You came in this discussion claws out. People seldom have rational discussions while having a fight defending themselves. 

As nurses we spend countless hours listening to what we perceive as irrational thoughys from patients. We take the time to learn more and deal with it.  But amongst ourselves it appears this talent wanes. Somehow there are nurses incapable of accepting that human beings have different perceptions despite sharing the same title and would rather fight with them than learn from them. 

It's unfortunate that you feel so defensive when confronted with facts and firm persistence that all people should vaccinate ASAP, even if they've been previously infected.  Health professionals should not be engaged in entertaining and sympathizing with invalid reasons to remain unvaccinated - on public forums.  That stance sends exactly the wrong message to readers who may be confused or uncertain about covid facts.  

The vaccines are safe and effective and all eligible adults should vaccinate ASAP.

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Specializes in Customer service.

She is nearing her 62 years old birthday who fired her employer for not supplying the appropriate N95 to employees. Don't know if she is vaccinated. I know she is not working started in November 2020.

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Specializes in Customer service.

She has been a nurse since 1980s.

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Specializes in Emergency and Critical Care.

I was noticing the similarities in responses based on years as a nurse, and I find it very interesting. I went through many different diseases throughout my nursing career such as AIDS, H1N1, SARS and not once did we shut down the world, even though there were always the high risk individuals with comorbidities. We didn't even shut down when ebola hit the US. I took care of many of these patients before we had information. (What is the total death rate of people with MI, car accidents etc. that are hospitalized and also happen to test positive for Covid? What did they die from?)  I would get frustrated with the antivaccination parents, because I saw children die from measles, and these vaccinations had been proven to be effective. I was one of the last generation of people to get the smallpox vaccination which eradicated it. Measles and mumps are returning to the US. Covid is a virus it will do whatever it can to survive, and that means we will see many mutations with or without vaccinations. I say, don't make your decision based on fear, do your research and follow your beliefs. As professionals we will always be involved in new diseases, as well as being exposed to them.  It is not our role to force others into complying with our beliefs, it is our role to educate and let those people make their decision based on informed, consent. Many people do not feel they have enough information to make that decision. Look at all the nurses that worked for months without a vaccination and helped their facility stay up and running, and now they are being threatened to take vaccination or lose their job. Is there not an option, just as there is for the flu (mask if not vaccinated, routine testing?) Let's continue to be kind and compassionate people, let us listen to others, ask questions learn from others, not close ourselves up from educational opportunities because someone else has a different opinion, let us learn from it. 

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Specializes in A variety.
23 minutes ago, cinlou said:

I was noticing the similarities in responses based on years as a nurse, and I find it very interesting. I went through many different diseases throughout my nursing career such as AIDS, H1N1, SARS and not once did we shut down the world, even though there were always the high risk individuals with comorbidities. We didn't even shut down when ebola hit the US. I took care of many of these patients before we had information. (What is the total death rate of people with MI, car accidents etc. that are hospitalized and also happen to test positive for Covid? What did they die from?)  I would get frustrated with the antivaccination parents, because I saw children die from measles, and these vaccinations had been proven to be effective. I was one of the last generation of people to get the smallpox vaccination which eradicated it. Measles and mumps are returning to the US. Covid is a virus it will do whatever it can to survive, and that means we will see many mutations with or without vaccinations. I say, don't make your decision based on fear, do your research and follow your beliefs. As professionals we will always be involved in new diseases, as well as being exposed to them.  It is not our role to force others into complying with our beliefs, it is our role to educate and let those people make their decision based on informed, consent. Many people do not feel they have enough information to make that decision. Look at all the nurses that worked for months without a vaccination and helped their facility stay up and running, and now they are being threatened to take vaccination or lose their job. Is there not an option, just as there is for the flu (mask if not vaccinated, routine testing?) Let's continue to be kind and compassionate people, let us listen to others, ask questions learn from others, not close ourselves up from educational opportunities because someone else has a different opinion, let us learn from it. 

Standing ovation!   Finally another voice of reason with a balanced approach and attitude!

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, Transport, L&D, Hospice.
59 minutes ago, cinlou said:

Is there not an option, just as there is for the flu (mask if not vaccinated, routine testing?) Let's continue to be kind and compassionate people, let us listen to others, ask questions learn from others, not close ourselves up from educational opportunities because someone else has a different opinion, let us learn from it. 

Perhaps when covid is not at pandemic levels we can consider making vaccination completely optional in healthcare settings.  

All eligible adults should vaccinate ASAP so that we can slow the spread of this virus in this country.  

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Specializes in Patient Safety Advocate; HAI Prevention.

I am incredibly proud of my Maine's Governor Janet Mills and her CDC director for mandating COVID vaccines for all healthcare workers here in Maine.  This avoids a piecemeal approach of individual hospitals or healthcare clinics and facilities having their own mandates.  It strengthens employers of healthcare workers stance on the necessity of the vaccine.  This makes workers and patients safer.  I have talked with nurses who are currently working (I am retired) who are extremely upset with coworkers who have so far refused vaccination. I have also talked with patients who expect their caregivers to be vaccinated and who ask them if they are.  I have waffled in the past about some vaccine mandates (ie. forcing all HC employees to get the flu vaccine), but that was NOT during a pandemic of deadly infections.  I have been an employee health nurse during my career and been in the position to enforce vaccine mandates or proof of immunity. I learned that eventually most will bite the bullet if it means a job they want to keep with seniority and benefits. It would be extremely tragic that nurses who have watched COVID patients die of the infection would not have learned from it, and gotten the vaccine to protect themselves, their families and their patients.  Over 97% of the new hosptialized COVID patients in Maine are unvaccinated.  That makes it crystal clear to me that the vaccines work, with few exceptions. 

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