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 Patient Safety Advocate; HAI Prevention.
I am a retired RN and a volunteer Patient Safety Advocate. As nurses it is our/your responsibility to do whatever is necessary to keep your patients safe, and ourselves at the same time. If a patients family member asks you a question about being vaccinated, it should be answered honestly. Patients have a right to ask questions and get answers, particularly if it is about their own or their loved ones safety. Vaccination is one step to protect ourselves and the people around us. Other things include masking, hand hygiene, and not getting roomed with a sick or infected roommate. I don't see anything wrong with that patient's wife asking if his nurse was vaccinated, in fact I would encourage them to do so....just like I would encourage them to monitor infection precautions, and remind staff who choose to skip steps. I will be glad when hospitals, LTCs, and other places that render healthcare mandate the COVID vaccines for their workers. Mandates are coming and they are starting with the VA. None of the other preventatives are as effective as the vaccine. It is astounding to me that nurses would refuse the vaccine. It just doesn't make sense. My opinion is that the people (not just nurses) who will not get vaccinated, science deniers and anti maskers are perpetuating the pandemic....what the heck are they doing inside hospital walls?
If a patients family member asks you a question about being vaccinated, it should be answered honestly. Patients have a right to ask questions and get answers, particularly if it is about their own or their loved ones safety.
Agreed, but I don't know every hospital's policies. I personally would say "Yes, I am, and our facility has mandated vaccinations, but since I likely won't be their only nurse" and then finish the spiel I mentioned -- that I will personally relay to the charge nurse their request, so they know their concerns are being taken seriously.
Plus, if a facility has not yet mandated the vaccine, it may not be a request that can be complied with in all situations. If my relative were coding, the risk to their brain would outweigh the risk of caregiver-facilitated transmission (at least to me, my sister loves her brain).
Agreed, but I don't know every hospital's policies. I personally would say "Yes, I am, and our facility has mandated vaccinations, but since I likely won't be their only nurse" and then finish the spiel I mentioned -- that I will personally relay to the charge nurse their request, so they know their concerns are being taken seriously.
Plus, if a facility has not yet mandated the vaccine, it may not be a request that can be complied with in all situations. If my relative were coding, the risk to their brain would outweigh the risk of caregiver-facilitated transmission (at least to me, my sister loves her brain).
What about if they ask if you’re gay? Have herpes? How much do you drink off work? What was your nursing school GPA? NCLEX score? What religion are you? Political affiliation? Chicken pox shot? HepB titers? Is there a line at all?
What about if they ask if you’re gay? Have herpes? How much do you drink off work? What was your nursing school GPA? NCLEX score? What religion are you? Political affiliation? Chicken pox shot? HepB titers? Is there a line at all?
Since I have to go by my titer results thanks to lost immunization records (and still had to have a booster MMR to get them up to snuff the last time I changed jobs), I'd be happy to answer information about what vaccines I have, along with telling that story about my facility's policy and me failing the initial bloodwork, so that person felt safe.
As for the rest, I think you're the one on the slippery slope.
Specializes in Patient Safety Advocate; HAI Prevention.
During an active pandemic, any patient or family member should have the information they need to keep their loved one or themselves safe. I would absolutely ask my nurse if she is vaccinated, and ask for a vaccinated nurse. The pandemic COVID is an immediate threat. The other questions you suggested are just a comeback to my suggestions....doesn't do anyone any good to be a wise ***. Also it doesn't' help in any way to keep patients safe.
What about if they ask if you’re gay? Have herpes? How much do you drink off work? What was your nursing school GPA? NCLEX score? What religion are you? Political affiliation? Chicken pox shot? HepB titers? Is there a line at all?
That would actually have been a very intelligent question if Conservatism, Hinduism and Strawberry Daiquiris were infectious respiratory diseases, responsible for killing millions worldwide.
What about if they ask if you’re gay? Have herpes? How much do you drink off work? What was your nursing school GPA? NCLEX score? What religion are you? Political affiliation? Chicken pox shot? HepB titers? Is there a line at all?
Um......which one of those examples is transmitted via droplets when in close proximity to someone?
My sexual preference does not affect my patients well being. Nothing you do with your patients should come anywhere near risking transmitting herpes, if you happen to be carrying that virus. Unless I appear inebriated and it's affecting my patient care, my drinking habits have nothing to do with my patient. My GPA has nothing to do with my patient, nor does my NCLEX score. Unless I'm showing bias based on my patient's religion, my personal religious beliefs have nothing to do with my patient. Same with my political stances.
Covid, on the other hand, can easily be transmitted via droplets when in close proximity of another person, and even more so true if they're health is already compromised, and the vaccine has been repeatedly shown to significantly reduce this risk (though not eliminate it).......none of your comparisons make any sense at all in the context of the conversation.
Can you really not see how silly and nonsensical your post is?
For me personally, I would also have a problem trusting the professional judgement of a nurse who has chosen not to vaccinate. (Unless they had an absolute medical contraindication).
THIS. SO much this. Added to the fact that patients absolutely should advocate for their own and loved one's safety and well-being, and their wishes should be accommodated (within reason of course). The fact that there was any debate at all about whether the request to swap out nurses should have been accommodated is worrisome.
I am a nurse in a emergency department. I was there since day one of covid. The speed at which they pushed the vaccine out and the dismissive attitude of medical professionals to patients or coworkers about reactions is scary. Wear a N95 and weekly testing should be sufficient for employees who want to wait. Remember this recently experimental vaccine was only pushed to market because immunity was granted to pharmaceutical companies. Look at the accuracy rate of covid antigen and pcr tests and tell me the data from the pandemic is testable.
Specializes in NICU, PICU, Transport, L&D, Hospice.
The data from the pandemic is testable.
The vaccines are safe and effective.
The end of the pandemic is postponed by vaccine reluctance and refusal. The development of further variants and outbreaks is directly tied to populations of unvaccinated individuals.
toomuchbaloney
16,026 Posts
You are referencing the people following the advice of strangers and others who aren't accountable experts on the Internet?