Termination From Employer For Refusing EUV

[RaineyRN7]

I am an Oncology nurse working for a hospital for more than 13 years. I live in California and there is now a mandate in place that is requiring me to be vaccinated before Sept. 30th or I will be terminated from my job. Not only do I not feel comfortable to receive a EUV that no long term studies have been documented because it is too new and not FDA approved but I have also witnessed friends as well as patients having severe side effects after receiving vaccination.

I am unclear how an employer has the LEGAL RIGHT to ask me personal questions about my religious beliefs or medical information (vaccination status), where are my HIPAA Rights. Employer vaccine mandates are subject to religious accommodation under the Title VII of the Civil rights act. For personal reasons I will be submitting for religious exemption to hopefully prevent me from losing my job. 

I'm not sure what the outcome will be but I am planning to seek employment elsewhere in case I do lose my job and likely it won't be in healthcare. I don't know if this will be the end of my nursing career and if it is I feel extremely sad about that. 

What happened to the phrase " my body my choice " ? 

I will not be forced to do anything to my body that I do not choose.

 Through scripture we know that God values our bodies. Our bodies are said to be a temple of the Holy Spirit, and we are called to take care of and honor God's temple. God's words lead use to use our bodies and the gifts He has given us to achieve the will of God.

[toomuchbaloney]

37 minutes ago, cRyo said:

Hospitals have questionnaires that nurses have to answer before every shift if they have COVID symptoms. My honest question is, if a nurse tested positive for COVID (vaccinated or not) she/he needs to stay home for 10 days or more to avoid spreading it. How does the vaccine helps with the patient's welfare? 

(A civil conversation would be great)

The vaccinated but infected nurse will most likely have a quick and effective immune response and will return to work quickly without having infected any patients or HCWs. 

The unvaccinated and infected nurse is more likely to actively spread the virus to patients or HCWs and may experience serious illness, hospitalization or death themselves. All of that would further burden the system struggling under the pandemic. 

 

[emtb2rn, BSN, RN, EMT-B]

7 hours ago, GordonGekko said:

That is the beauty of America, we all have equal opportunity.

Yep, just like it says in the pledge of allegiance:

“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America And to the Republic for which it stands
One nation, under God Indivisible with liberty and justice for all who can afford it”

[GordonGekko, MSN]

1 hour ago, emtb2rn said:

Yep, just like it says in the pledge of allegiance:

“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America And to the Republic for which it stands
One nation, under God Indivisible with liberty and justice for all who can afford it”

Good thing upward mobility and creating wealth  is easy for those who want it.  The ones in the worst “poverty” in this country would be rich in places like India and Africa.  Hard work and perseverance is how I went from 20k/year to 250k a year in the last 15 years.

[Anonymous865]

2 hours ago, cRyo said:

Hospitals have questionnaires that nurses have to answer before every shift if they have COVID symptoms. My honest question is, if a nurse tested positive for COVID (vaccinated or not) she/he needs to stay home for 10 days or more to avoid spreading it. How does the vaccine helps with the patient's welfare? 

(A civil conversation would be great) 

I listen to the TWiV (This Week in Virology) podcast / Youtube.  It's a bunch of virologists, immunologists, vaccinologists, and infectious disease physicians talking about the latest research.  Since the start of COVID the podcasts have primarily focused on COVID. 

They do an excellent job of explaining a complex subject in terms anyone can understand. 

I recommend TWiV to anyone interested in understanding this disease.

A few days ago Dr. Daniel Griffin from Columbia discussed the latest research that addresses your question.

The research shows that even with Delta the vaccine reduces the chance by 90% that a vaccinated person will contract COVID even with close contact.

It also shows that if a vaccinated person does contract COVID, the vaccine reduces the chance that they will pass it on to someone (including close contacts) by 71%

Masking reduces the chance even more.

Vaccinating and masking greatly reduces the chance of exposing a vulnerable patient to COVID even if the nurse is asymptomatic with a COVID infection.

 

[toomuchbaloney]

1 hour ago, Anonymous865 said:

I listen to the TWiV (This Week in Virology) podcast / Youtube.  It's a bunch of virologists, immunologists, vaccinologists, and infectious disease physicians talking about the latest research.  Since the start of COVID the podcasts have primarily focused on COVID. 

They do an excellent job of explaining a complex subject in terms anyone can understand. 

I recommend TWiV to anyone interested in understanding this disease.

A few days ago Dr. Daniel Griffin from Columbia discussed the latest research that addresses your question.

The research shows that even with Delta the vaccine reduces the chance by 90% that a vaccinated person will contract COVID even with close contact.

It also shows that if a vaccinated person does contract COVID, the vaccine reduces the chance that they will pass it on to someone (including close contacts) by 71%

Masking reduces the chance even more.

Vaccinating and masking greatly reduces the chance of exposing a vulnerable patient to COVID even if the nurse is asymptomatic with a COVID infection.

 

Thanks for that recommendation. 

 

[Puppy Kisses]

You have every right to not get vaccinated.  Your employer is not violating any HIPAA laws.  Doctors I know and work with are vaccinated including my MD sister. You are living in fear and ignorance.  You do you. 

[lifelearningrn, BSN, RN]

On 8/13/2021 at 1:35 PM, Horseshoe said:

Then the extreme antivaxxers will all just lie or conveniently find religion. 

I feel like they should have to prove they're active in a church/religion that does not believe in vaccinations.  

[NurseSpeedy, ADN, LPN, RN]

On 8/13/2021 at 2:35 PM, Horseshoe said:

Then the extreme antivaxxers will all just lie or conveniently find religion. 

They already have in the public school section-not for COVID-but for vaccines in general. I remember needing to show documentation of all of my daughter’s vaccines for VIRTUAL school which I transitioned her to after the crapshoot they had with county virtual schooling in March 2020-figured at least this one has been around for years as an option and had an A+ school rating so she actually did better than in person (probably just less distraction). Yet at her public school there was a chicken pox outbreak one year and a measles the next-how? Oh, religious exemption…why am I not believing this was completely religion based? 

Point is, the religion  stance has been taken for a long time prior to covid but I remember needing titers for my vaccines before starting at the hospital in 2016. Unless people are suddenly changing religions, how did they not oppose the other vaccines already in their health record?

[Horseshoe, BSN, RN]

On 8/16/2021 at 10:34 PM, NurseSpeedy said:

They already have in the public school section-not for COVID-but for vaccines in general. I remember needing to show documentation of all of my daughter’s vaccines for VIRTUAL school which I transitioned her to after the crapshoot they had with county virtual schooling in March 2020-figured at least this one has been around for years as an option and had an A+ school rating so she actually did better than in person (probably just less distraction). Yet at her public school there was a chicken pox outbreak one year and a measles the next-how? Oh, religious exemption…why am I not believing this was completely religion based? 

Point is, the religion  stance has been taken for a long time prior to covid but I remember needing titers for my vaccines before starting at the hospital in 2016. Unless people are suddenly changing religions, how did they not oppose the other vaccines already in their health record?

I honestly feel religious exemptions should not be allowed. A religious nonvaccinated child or adult is no less contagious than someone who just doesn't want to be vaccinated because he distrusts science or has a political agenda or is just afraid of potential side effects. If they don't get an exemption, no one should (other than people who have medical contraindications). 

[iNurs5, CNA]

I've never tested positive with PCR. I worked in COVID-19 unit. I was terribly ill before the lockdown. I missed over a month of work and schooling. I eventually showed up at school because I was threatened to be withdrawn. They saw me. I was ill. Didn't need an expert to assess me to determine if I was ill.

Almost everyone in the hall where I was assigned had fever, watery eyes, and other symptoms and signs of respiratory problems. I fell ill at the end of my shift. I asked why many people were having runny nose. I wanted to go home but couldn't. I wore surgical masks instead.

I was in hospital and left. I was too sick to sit and wait 3 to 4 hours. Nobody took my temperature even though I told the person my temperature last time I took it, not an hour ago, was 105°F. 

In short, some people I worked with ended up in an ICU, ventilator, or expired. My dry cough lasted longer than any other illness I had. 

[iNurs5, CNA]

 There are employers who will hire you. You don't have to play with your employer's requirement to stay put.

[jive turkey]

On 8/15/2021 at 2:17 PM, GordonGekko said:

Private business has the right to operate how they want to.  If you don't agree you can leave and find another job or start your own hospital.  That is the beauty of America, we all have equal opportunity.

 I would say it's less of them doing whatever they want and more that its simply the law doesn't prohibit them from terminating for vaccination.  

This disease has become so mainstream and polarizing, businesses likely feel its in their best interest to require it rather than be the black sheep that didn't mandate it,  and get sued later after someone figures a crafty way to blame their infection on them.