Hey guys, I have a question for anyone else who is a fellow "non-vaccinator" or against mandatory vaccination. What did you do for nursing school, particularly clinical locations immunization requirements? After a lot of research, I've found that while many nurses can sign immunization waivers that are offered by some hospitals, etc., I haven't heard of a nursing student who has successfully avoided vaccination requirements associated with nursing school and clinical facilities.
I am well aware that vaccination is a very controversial subject in the medical field and many feel strongly on both sides of the issue. My intention is not to debate or discuss the merits of vaccinations, but to hear from other nurses and nursing students who challenged the vaccine requirements and how you went about it.
Hi, just wondering if you've found a solution to this? I am looking for a school in my area that accepts medical exemption and it doesn't look promising, I'm not sure what to do ?
Stay out of the healthcare field would be my suggestion.
Specializes in Palliative, Onc, Med-Surg, Home Hospice.
jeannaj2012 said:
for one have your titers drawn for what is required most places will accept titers, 2 a lot of places will allow you to wear a mask instead of taking a flu shot. although a mask would be a HIPAA violation. Thankfully the schools and clinical sites I will be using for my RN will allow religious exemptions and a mask I am not so sure about the clinical sites for my BSN! Praying it all works out
where in the world do you get your information? A mask is a HIPAA violation? How?
Can you give us links to peer reviewed research to back up your claims? Please provide them
I also would LOVE to know how hygiene prevents airborn illnesses from being spread. Care to share you thoughts on that one?
I was just perusing through the different topics and came across this one.
I just want to put my two cents in. Even volunteers at hospitals have to show proof of vaccines or, at the very least, the titer results. If you don't have proof a certain vaccine done, the hospital will do it for you. Period.
I just can't see a hospital waiving vaccines for an actual nursing student or person who wants to become an employee -- if even volunteers are not exempt.
There is only one person I know of who has been able to circumvent the immunization requirements (she is a hospital employee though--not a student), and she cited allergies to the vaccine components as her reasoning for not complying with the hospital's immunization policy.
My suggestion would be to obtain your titers to determine the diseases to which you are already immune and the work from there. In some hospitals, you can complete a Hep B (and sometimes a TDaP) declination, but as a nursing student it's much harder to waive these requirements. In most cases, you are bound by the clinical requirements posed by the clinical-sponsoring hospital. Additionally, as already mentioned. influenza is becoming a hiring requirement for many major medical institutions so that one is harder to get around.
I was just perusing through the different topics and came across this one.
I just want to put my two cents in. Even volunteers at hospitals have to show proof of vaccines or, at the very least, the titer results. If you don't have proof a certain vaccine done, the hospital will do it for you. Period.
I just can't see a hospital waiving vaccines for an actual nursing student or person who wants to become an employee -- if even volunteers are not exempt.
What's dumb, though, is I work at a hospital that is requiring me to have vaccines to be there for clinicals, yet to work there, in direct patient care, they're only optional. It just doesn't really make sense.
What's dumb, though, is I work at a hospital that is requiring me to have vaccines to be there for clinicals, yet to work there, in direct patient care, they're only optional. It just doesn't really make sense.
I'm a little late to the party and I see OP hasn't posted, but I have a couple of thoughts:
Why would you want to go into a an environment of germ-y people, wielding sharp pointy, blood covered objects, knowing you did not have immunity to nasties like Hep A, Hep B, tetorifice, pertussis, measles, mumps and rubella?
If I were an expecting mommy and knew I had no immunity to rubella I would probably quarantine myself! A nurse friend told me about her experience caring for a child with profound birth defects related to maternal rubella.
I just don't get the reasoning behind drawing titers instead of a little poke in the arm. There are way fewer antigens in today's vaccines than in the past. And much cheaper than blood tests.
Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.
Smrab said:
Curious to know if you were able to get a waiver.
The only waiver I've ever seen granted was temporary medical waivers for live vaccines (MMR, Varicella) while pregnant and certified by attending OB under the condition that the vaccine be received as soon as medically cleared. Philosophical & religious exemptions don't apply to employment or clinical rotations. Medical exemptions can be legally declined as unfit for safe practice in a clinical setting.
Vaccine exemptions for compulsory education (elementary/high school) do not apply to post secondary schools. The choice is meet the requirements or take a different course of study.
Hepatitis B vaccine is common to have a waiver option for. It's still typically considered an optional vaccine. The rest are really to protect everyone else from you. There's always possible medical reasons why you can't get them, that's going to be up to your school and clinical sites if you can have a medical exception. Just understand that you can be exposed to them.
If you're not doing it because you're afraid you'll become autistic or because a post on facebook said they're unsafe, or having a religious opposition to it, healthcare isn't the field for you... You're already contradicting everything about healthcare by refusing vaccines for those reasons.
broughden
560 Posts
Stay out of the healthcare field would be my suggestion.