Patient Refusing Unvaccinated RN

Nurses COVID

Updated:   Published

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Just as the tittle implies, we recently had a patient's family refusing a nurse who is not vaccinated. As of now, vaccination at my facility is still voluntary; becoming mandatory after September 1st (we still have several staff on the fence about it). My understanding is that the patient happened to come in as a stroke, with a prior  hx of prostate CA. Not sure what was the context of the conversation, but the patient's wife asked the nurse at the time if she was vaccinated (she was not and answered honestly...she could had refused); prompting the wife to request a different nurse due her fear of exposing her possible immunocompromised husband...the assignment was changed. The feeling of some of my co-workers is that we shouldn't had accommodated the request in support of the staff; however, many feel the wife had the right to advocate for her husband and had a valid concern. This has become a hot topic of conversation in the unit during downtime. 

Have anyone come across to anything similar?? If so, how was it handled?

Soon refusing will not be an option. Places are already short as it is. Sure all healthcare workers should be vaccinated, but how long will this pick and choose is going to last?

Specializes in Critical Care.
4 minutes ago, DesiDani said:

Seriously LOL! This site is filled with projection. Didn't you project that I was being hell bent on something as if I was a VACCINATED antivaxer (wait that is sounds oddly ironic).  There is no drama in my opinion. It is just that an opinion. Yet, it is you that keeps on stating your opinion, yes opinion, as well. It is my opinion, that the wife is being naïve. It is your opinion she is not.

Simple. No need for drawn out chatroom drama. 

Stating an opinion and making false factual claims are not the same thing, please stop conflating the two.

2 hours ago, MunoRN said:

Seat belts don't reduce your risk of death in a car accident to zero, does that mean there is no point to wearing a seat belt?

Yet, I still drive cautiously when wearing a seatbelt. So are you saying that her husband cannot get the virus, because she refused that one nurse? Sigh, it is her choice and her right, but she is being naive.

Specializes in Critical Care.
9 minutes ago, DesiDani said:

Yet, I still drive cautiously when wearing a seatbelt. So are you saying that her husband cannot get the virus, because she refused that one nurse? Sigh, it is her choice and her right, but she is being naive.

I don't think either me or the patient's wife is saying that, what we're saying is that we know the chance of someone transmitting the virus is significantly lower if the person is vaccinated.  For the same reason we wear seat belts, it doesn't make it impossible for someone to die in a car crash, but it significantly reduces that chance. 

15 hours ago, MunoRN said:

Stating an opinion and making false factual claims are not the same thing, please stop conflating the two.

On 7/21/2021 at 4:55 AM, DesiDani said:

That is a false sense of security (Opinion).  Just because someone is vaccinated does not mean they cannot catch and then spread Covid (fact). So her guard is naively down when her spouse has a nurse who says she is vaccinated? 

 

Patient is on a unit for a week. ER says the patient was checked for COVID and doesn't have it. The RNs and CNAs have taken care of this patient and yes they are fully vaccinated. Wife comes in  and only wants vaccinated nurses to take care of her husband in another room. Good, because she is trying to reduce her loved ones risk of exposure.  Well surprise surprise that patient who the ER said tested for negative COVID has been upgraded and test positive COVID. So the wife next door feels in heart that she has eliminated her husband's risk of catching COVID, because she has banned that ONE nurse for taking care of her husband. While she has no clue that the vaccinated new RN on day/night shift, respiratory, lab, the CNAs on day/night, doctors who may have been in contact with that one upgraded COVID patient. 

But all is good because the care team is fully vaccinated, I suppose?

48 minutes ago, DesiDani said:

Soon refusing will not be an option. Places are already short as it is. Sure all healthcare workers should be vaccinated, but how long will this pick and choose is going to last?

Oh, there is always a choice. 

5 minutes ago, IamICU said:

Oh, there is always a choice. 

True, but someone is going to have to pay the piper. There is a cause and  effect to everything

1 hour ago, DesiDani said:

Soon refusing will not be an option. Places are already short as it is. Sure all healthcare workers should be vaccinated, but how long will this pick and choose is going to last?

Oh, there is always a choice. 

Specializes in Critical Care.

@DesiDani

Her "sense of security" is that her husband is less likely to contract Covid from someone who is vaccinated than someone who is not vaccinated,  that is not "false". Your suggestion that it is false is not an opinion,  it's misinformation.

Why shouldn't we all just call "misinformation" a lie.

At least admit to calling people liars....if you accuse people of something don't be shy. 
 

Why pu$$yfoot around...or let sleeping dogs lie....

Specializes in Critical Care.
3 minutes ago, IamICU said:

Why shouldn't we all just call "misinformation" a lie.

At least admit to calling people liars....if you accuse people of something don't be shy. 
 

Why pu$$yfoot around...or let sleeping dogs lie....

I don't think anybody is refusing to call misinformation a lie and that the people who spread that misinformation can correctly be called liars.

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