School asks for private info?

ChristineN, BSN, RN · Mar 3, 2011

I have never had employers or nursing school ask any of this stuff. They needed vaccine records and TB test results, and I had to pass a brief physical that showed that i could handle the physical requirements associated with nursing. I have never had to do a urine dip (other than a drug test), give my OB/GYN history, or dental records. This is excessive and I would tell them that they are invading your privacy.

BabyLady, BSN, RN · Mar 3, 2011

I'm about to start a nursing program at Lanier Tech in the Atlanta area. I expected the school to give us a form about our general health and immunizations, but they are asking questions that don't seem to be pertinent to anything. Why does my school need to know when I had my first menses or if it's regular, how many times I've been pregnant, how many births...even my dental records? I mean seriously, is this normal? My previous school asked for immunization records, list of medications and general questions, which for that I do understand the reasoning.
Is your school asking these questions too? Is this normal?

I agree, this is NOT normal.

Immunizations...they need to know.

I had to have a physical exam to certify my health and fitness for my nursing program and it did not have any sensitive questions like that on it...at all.

It asked for my physician to review my immunizations, current TB, Hep A &B series and if I had vision problems, lifting problems, etc.

However, I agree with you...the information is not relevant for school.

BabyLady, BSN, RN · Mar 3, 2011

...If you have aleady been accepted, fill out what you feel is necessary and simply leave the information you feel is invasive, blank. Just tell them, that you were not comfortable disclosing the remainder of the information...it need not be a big deal.

malarwen · Mar 3, 2011

...If you have aleady been accepted, fill out what you feel is necessary and simply leave the information you feel is invasive, blank. Just tell them, that you were not comfortable disclosing the remainder of the information...it need not be a big deal.

oh, I will leave certain lines blank for sure. But I don't see why I should spend $50 (or possibly more) to have my dental form filled in by my dentist. If this weren't the only school within a reasonable distance I'd say screw it and would go somewhere else.

caliotter3 · Mar 3, 2011

My health form involvement for nursing school consisted of producing my immunization records for my clinical instructor to view prior to the start of clinicals each term. That was it. Nothing more. Nothing less. This is invasive and not necessary. But do you want to go to school there? Refusing to comply might mean getting booted. Authoritarian entities tend to act that way.

BabyLady, BSN, RN · Mar 3, 2011

oh, I will leave certain lines blank for sure. But I don't see why I should spend $50 (or possibly more) to have my dental form filled in by my dentist. If this weren't the only school within a reasonable distance I'd say screw it and would go somewhere else.

Tell them you don't have any teeth! Seriously...that isn't even part of your physical for any nursing job you'll ever have!

malarwen · Mar 3, 2011

My health form involvement for nursing school consisted of producing my immunization records for my clinical instructor to view prior to the start of clinicals each term. That was it. Nothing more. Nothing less. This is invasive and not necessary. But do you want to go to school there? Refusing to comply might mean getting booted. Authoritarian entities tend to act that way.

I have no choice when it comes to school. This is the only school I can go to that's within driving distance. The school websites or previous info sessions did not mention anything about these forms. The school website doesn't have any privacy statements either.

My question is: Is this even legal? I know employers cannot ask for this information, why should schools be allowed?

How is the information about how many times i've been pregnant or if I have any cavities relevant to anything?

caliotter3 · Mar 3, 2011

But is it going to kill you to go along with their petty little game to get what you want? Is it worth it to take legal action? I can assure you there are worse things this school can do to you. You have to decide what is important, going to school, or fighting with them on this point. I am not saying I don't agree with you, only that you have to choose your battles. Just wait until you get a clinical instructor who doesn't like the way you part your hair, so she decides she is going to fail you, and tells you nothing until your "failure" evaluation session. That is something to get stressed about.

malarwen · Mar 3, 2011

But is it going to kill you to go along with their petty little game to get what you want? Is it worth it to take legal action? I can assure you there are worse things this school can do to you. You have to decide what is important, going to school, or fighting with them on this point. I am not saying I don't agree with you, only that you have to choose your battles. Just wait until you get a clinical instructor who doesn't like the way you part your hair, so she decides she is going to fail you, and tells you nothing until your "failure" evaluation session. That is something to get stressed about.

You are absolutely right. I will turn in the required forms, just leaving some info blank. However, i will contact the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. This can be done without my name being dragged into it.

Moogie · Mar 3, 2011

The ONLY reason I could legitimately see for this type of information is to make appropriate clinical assignments for students who are pregnant or trying to get pregnant. It would not be appropriate, for example, to assign a student who might be pregnant to take care of a patient with a radiation implant because of risks of exposure to the fetus. However, that type of information would be shared with the clinical instructor. It's not necessary to share that in a health form.

Good grief---why ask for the date of the last menses? I mean, that information is going to change as one progresses through the program. So are students supposed to alert the Powers That Be every time they have a period?

This sounds very bizarre. It's also bizarre that the advisor refused to discuss the issue with the OP.

malarwen · Mar 3, 2011

The ONLY reason I could legitimately see for this type of information is to make appropriate clinical assignments for students who are pregnant or trying to get pregnant. It would not be appropriate, for example, to assign a student who might be pregnant to take care of a patient with a radiation implant because of risks of exposure to the fetus. However, that type of information would be shared with the clinical instructor. It's not necessary to share that in a health form.
Good grief---why ask for the date of the last menses? I mean, that information is going to change as one progresses through the program. So are students supposed to alert the Powers That Be every time they have a period?
This sounds very bizarre. It's also bizarre that the advisor refused to discuss the issue with the OP.

Actually, it's not last menses. It's the first one and also if it's regular or irregular. About past pregnancies - how many, how many live births. I pasted parts of the forms in the thread.

I just got off the phone with the commission on colleges and the person I talked to simply said, that he's sure that school would never put anything inappropriate in their forms. He said that he used to work there and he knows. He did not want to see the forms and he pretty much told me that i should consider another career.

I officially hate Georgia now. There is just not help anywhere.

mangopeach · Mar 4, 2011

Wow. That seems weird. I go to school in Georgia and my school never asked for that kind of info. Aside from immunizations and TB, the only other thing was whether or not you had suffered from a mental illness and if it would prevent you from doing the program.