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?
Specializes in NICU, PICU, Transport, L&D, Hospice.
1 hour 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....
When people knowingly spread misinformation it is lying. If they honestly believe the lies themselves they are just being gullible and foolish. Nurses should know better. When nurses spread disinformation it is intentional and dangerous. They've been educated and should know how to research a scientific topic, vet the sources, and understand the science. Refusal to accept the science, data, evidence and expert analysis in favor of other opinion in the midst of a pandemic is dangerous and counterproductive to the goals of our profession.
This post has turned into something completely different from the intended purpose. Hopefully, it has created awareness that this might happen and how to prepare for it. I sincerely hope everyone (...if they are indeed real nurses), conduct their practice with their patient’s wellbeing as their main priority, regardless of personal beliefs/opinions.
Would really appreciate it if administration close this post/topic.
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?
Exactly. Get vaccinated and remain employed as an RN. Don't get vaccinated and work at McDonald's.....where you will also have to soon get vaccinated. This far in it is a wonder that nurses are still needing to have these discussions with their fellow nurses.
That is a false sense of security. Just because someone is vaccinated does not mean they cannot catch and then spread Covid. So her guard is naively down when her spouse has a nurse who says she is vaccinated?
This is not at all a false sense of security. Not only does it lessen your chances of being infected, if you do happen to get covid then you're significantly less symptomatic, which also reduces your risk of spreading it. It's a totally reasonable concern for an immunocompromised person, or anyone with conditions that would predispose you towards a bad case (obesity, diabetes, pulmonary problems, etc).
Of course there's a chance it could still be transmitted by a vaccinated individual, but it's significantly lower, so why would you not want to better your chances if your life is depending on it?
I'm sure that she is feels confident that she minimized her husband's risk of getting COVID or the Delta Virus all because she banned that one nurse from taking care of her husband. And that is what really matters for the family and their loved ones.
I'm sure that she is feels confident that she minimized her husband's risk of getting COVID or the Delta Virus all because she banned that one nurse from taking care of her husband. And that is what really matters for the family and their loved ones.
Why are you "sure" how a total stranger feels? We don't have enough information to know if the wife understands that she can only reduce risk rather than eliminate it. We don't know if she is realistic or engaging in magical thinking or if she is simply feeling out of control and attempting to grab some sense of it wherever she can. This is common with families whether we are talking about COVID or any other perceived threat.
I had a patient who had a stage 4 brain tumor. He was barely conscious and his death was clearly imminent. His wife was completely obsessed with his blood sugars. If they were ordered to be checked at 8 am, she was livid if they hadn't been checked by 08:01. I could have explained to her that those times have a cushion built into them, or could have stressed the more obvious fact that he was dying of a brain tumor and his blood sugar levels at 8:01 rather than 8:00 were not going to impact him whatsoever in any meaningful way. After dealing with this for several days and observing the family dynamic, I realized that maybe she was feeling completely powerless to effect the outcome of her husband's situation, and this was the ONE thing she could have any influence on. I made sure that his blood sugars were checked exactly on time.
Maybe this is what is driving the wife's behavior, maybe not. We don't know based on what we have been told.
This patient is smart! I would be concerned about the values and intellect of eligible persons who refuse to get vaccinated while working in a healthcare envir. If they claim to be free and put public in danger, I'm free to refuse their service. Come on, esp in light of Delta, gimme a break! And you better wear a mask around me too. I wear a mask in public. period. I don't care what people think anymore after 2020. I'm taking the most protective route.
Don’t share anything with your patients. There is an art to being compassionate and caring without crossing boundaries.
I have had patients ask me if I’m married, where my kids go to school, my phone number in case the on call missed something. I dodge all of these as they open Pandora’s box. For example when I was in nursing school I had a patient ask me if I was married, without thinking I blurted out “I was, I’m divorced, it didn’t work out”. The patient blankly looked at me and said “well the good lord frowns on that, there is no reason anyone who’s going to heaven would get divorced”. Since that day I promised myself to be caring and understanding but not share anything personal.
I’m vaccinated, but I have only disclosed that to my place of employment where it is a condition of my work.
toomuchbaloney
16,026 Posts
When people knowingly spread misinformation it is lying. If they honestly believe the lies themselves they are just being gullible and foolish. Nurses should know better. When nurses spread disinformation it is intentional and dangerous. They've been educated and should know how to research a scientific topic, vet the sources, and understand the science. Refusal to accept the science, data, evidence and expert analysis in favor of other opinion in the midst of a pandemic is dangerous and counterproductive to the goals of our profession.