Mandatory flu shots????

I hear you. When I found out that they mandated the flu shot across the board locally where I live I was pretty peeved about it too because I have never gotten one, and am afraid of adverse reactions because I have fibromyalgia, and who knows what can happen with that. But, being a nurse/midwife is important to me, so I'm just going to suck it up and get the flu shot when it's time to do so. It is what it is.

I feel like it's a basic duty if you work in healthcare and would be hypocritical to try to help people and promote good health and not do something like get a flu shot. How could a hospital promote something like a flu shot and NOT require their employees taking care of patients to not do the same? To me, it's like patients seeing doctors and nurses smoking outside (which drives me nuts by the way!) after being told the opposite. Remember, it's not just you, it's those with compromised immune systems we have to think about, and while it's understandable to not want all the stuff that is in a vaccine, you have to think of what is more important and the potential consequences.

Good day:

Does the current flu shot still contain mercury?

What do current studies show linking mercury to autism? To ADHD? To Alzheimer's?

Current reports show that this year's flu vaccine is how effective / ineffective?

Does critical thinking only apply to other areas, and when it comes to mandatory vaccines one is to turn off their brain, and just do as one's told?

Thank you.

P.S. I apologize if the above comes across as too blunt; but just because the CDC or someone else states it is good for you... to me, there's still homework rather than just blatantly following.

You make good points but it is straight and dry that she either get the shot or not get into nursing school or not do clinicals at least which means no graduation and wasted time and money. Also last year they released a study disproving the link between autism and adhd with the flu shot. As I'm sure they probably don't release ALL ingredients in the flu shot if you simply google this years shot you will see it is an inactive string of the virus. Another guess as to what contains mercury , amalgam fillings, yep. But where's the hype about that. A simple cracked filling and mercury enters the blood stream. The mist is safer for most people. The SHOT this year hasn't been as effective as prior years no but how fast does a new strain appear, for example how quickly did the h1n1 strain surprise us. Has anyone looked at the statistics on cases of having the flu with and without the shot?

Good day:

Does the current flu shot still contain mercury?

What do current studies show linking mercury to autism? To ADHD? To Alzheimer's?

Current reports show that this year's flu vaccine is how effective / ineffective?

Does critical thinking only apply to other areas, and when it comes to mandatory vaccines one is to turn off their brain, and just do as one's told?

Thank you.

P.S. I apologize if the above comes across as too blunt; but just because the CDC or someone else states it is good for you... to me, there's still homework rather than just blatantly following.

Homework is good. Informed decisions are good. But all that is far from the point.

OP either gets the shot, or she finds another career. Her reasons are her own and could be valid, but they don't change her options.

I'd never had a flu shot before NS. My kids are only vaccinated for certain disease. So I totally understand your hesitance.

After I got the shot, I hypochondriaced myself into thinking I was dying for a week. I was THAT upset lol. So I totally get it.

There are going to be lots of battles to fight in nursing school and beyond. There are endless ethics involved in caring for human lives, and you won't always agree with the decisions that are made. You'll probably have to promote stuff you aren't entirely in agreement with. Especially if you ARE an informed thinker. It sucks, but it's part of the game.

The above poster just nailed one of the problems.. you hypochondriaced yourself into thinking that you were sick over the vaccine.

I have no problems with people thoughts and feeling on vaccines.. but lets also remember when we start talking EBP that they HAVE saved many many many lives. I for one am glad that Polio (for the most part) and smallpox are no longer around thanks to vaccines. And for people that dont vaccinate.. thank the rest of the herd that does.

I'll tell you the main reason why flu shots are now becoming mandatory. Reimbursement. Hospitals are under enormous pressure. Pts that cycle back through the hospital cost billions. A recurrent congestive heart failure pt is a huge thorn in the side of hospitals because it's an endless cycled-disease. So, hospital adopted national standards to help pts live better with the disease. It cost less money and pt have better outcomes. Those of you who are getting BSNs will learn the importance of cost analysis and productivity. Our effect on the healthcare system reaches far beyond the clinical aspect at the bedside. Pts who contract the flu can become deathly ill and they stay a longggggg time. Many hospitals rely on reimbursement from the government to pay for admissions....especially medicare reimbursement. That is why electronic records are now becoming the standard. Hospitals received a huge reimbursement if they switched to EMR's (millions per hospital). It was based on better patient care, etc, etc. If nurses don't get the flu shot and a pt gets sick, it's costs the hospital money...lots of money....thousands a day, on top of the other diseases they have to pay for. And the shot reduces the risk of flu and pneumonia (especially medicare pts). So, if one nurse doesn't want to get a flu shot b/c of personal reasons, that one person is not worth the risk of millions of dollars per hospital per floor. If you had to pick up the bill for a pt who got sick from you, you would get the flu shot on day one of the flu season. New health care laws are basing reimbursement on these standards. A congestive heart failure pt who isn't given CHF education at discharge, or not given standardized meds (ace-inhibitors, diuretics, beta-blockers) will come back to the hospital multiple times. Just occupying a bed in the ICU, on day one, can equal what you will make as an RN in a month. Hospitals that don't meet satisfaction guidelines can even be denied reimbursement. Plus, if a nurse or student doesn't want the flu shot, there are dozens and dozens of others who are chomping at the bit to swoop into that position....and they are more than willing to get the flu shot and donate a kidney. The supply has now out numbered the demand. They can let a nurse go from a position b/c no one is that important. And, no one is worth more than reimbursement. The cost of our health system is broken and every chance must be taken to ensure patient safety and proper health care guidelines. We are one of the many vital positions in the hospital, but our worth does not compare to the safety of our patients. A life cannot be reimbursed, so we must either adapt or move along.

My school required them in Oct '12, and that was because the facilities we would be doing clinicals in required them. We did have the option to reject the shot, but would be required to wear a surgical mask while being at the clinical site (+12hrs!!) although I don't think this is fair for those with allergies or religious reasons, it is being done to protect our patients and a population as a whole..

Nurses jobs are to care for patients, and oftentimes they are sick with compromised immune systems and susceptible to things like influenza, even when a "carrier" hasn't shown signs/symptoms yet. It's becoming more and more mandatory because we are there to help patients and sometimes have to put them ahead of our own thoughts/feelings on relatively small things like a flu shot.

And basically, the hospital cares more about preventing nosocomial infections than if you just don't want a flu shot for x, y, and z reasons. And remember, nursing school is competitive and there are many who are willing to get a flu shot to take your place.

all you pro flu vaccine person, you do realize that OSHA doesn't feel that there is enough EVIDENCE to mandate, don't you?