Using Your Nursing Credentials to Validate Anti-Vaxxer Theories

Updated:   Published

should-anti-vaxxer-nurses-be-sanctioned.jpg.8e983894513e83f9d05e24ce8ea3e6ef.jpg

As nurses we are supposed to understand and follow science. Yet all over the country nurses are using their background to validate crackpot theories about Covid and the vaccine. Should there be consequences for leading an effort to hurt the public health? After all, it violates basic nursing ethics in particular, do no harm. Should boards of nurses sanction these people or should the ANA or other associations put out a statement saying these folk don't represent us?

On 8/31/2021 at 3:36 PM, JBMmom said:

 If you think back to thalidomide, Vioxx, talcom powder, even smoking, the medical community has, in the past, supported treatments or interventions that ended up doing patients harm. 

This is a valid point. However, I believe the medical community used the information they had at the time to make those recommendations. In this case, we are talking about medical professionals who choose to ignore science or worse, make it up altogether. In most cases, these are not principled people making decisions based on the information they have but they are being swayed, (dare I say it?) by some political motivation. These are crazy times we live in. 

2
Up Vote Up Vote ×
On 9/8/2021 at 9:31 AM, MustardJones said:

Anyone who has taken a healthcare ethics class, or who has a basic understanding of informed consent, knows that a truly autonomous decision must be free from duress. The risks and benefits must be accurately represented and the patient bears the responsibility of acting on that information. It astounds me that many healthcare professionals think that this principle of informed consent is suspended in the case of the vaccine. The use of specific language to marginalize a group of people with many different motivations, the “anti-vaxxers” is obscene. 

You were right, right up until the last sentence. I am not "marginalizing" a group of people. There is a contingent of people who are refusing the vaccine and all the "different motivations" come down to one thing: misinformation and in a lot of cases, they are being willfully ignorant. The information is out there but they choose to ignore it and seek out information that feels good to them and closely aligns with their identified social and political leanings (see: invermectin paste). 

 

You talk about the principle of informed consent and the patient's responsibility to act on that information. For the most part, there has been very little to no "duress", that is why this thing has lingered for so long! You want to talk about obscene? We have been respecting their "rights" and their "viewpoints" and their "opinions" even when it makes no sense, to the detriment of us all! That's what is obscene. And since the consequences of their choices are not self-limited, we all have a right to identify and address these people as who they are. That goes double for people who should know better, a la our colleagues.  

2
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in A variety.
7 hours ago, Helen Crump said:

You were right, right up until the last sentence. I am not "marginalizing" a group of people. There is a contingent of people who are refusing the vaccine and all the "different motivations" come down to one thing: misinformation and in a lot of cases, they are being willfully ignorant. The information is out there but they choose to ignore it and seek out information that feels good to them and closely aligns with their identified social and political leanings (see: invermectin paste). 

 

You talk about the principle of informed consent and the patient's responsibility to act on that information. For the most part, there has been very little to no "duress", that is why this thing has lingered for so long! You want to talk about obscene? We have been respecting their "rights" and their "viewpoints" and their "opinions" even when it makes no sense, to the detriment of us all! That's what is obscene. And since the consequences of their choices are not self-limited, we all have a right to identify and address these people as who they are. That goes double for people who should know better, a la our colleagues.  

Are we referring specifically to those not vaccinating, and advocating against it, using reasons that have no facts or studies to support their perspective? (I.e. microchips/magnetism)

There are many people objecting or hesitant for justifiable reasons.

As far as placing blame for spread squarely at the feet of the unvaccinated, we must consider that the vaccinated can still get COVID, can still spread, and reports are emerging that even their viral load may be similar to the unvaccinated.  

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in NICU, PICU, Transport, L&D, Hospice.
23 minutes ago, jive turkey said:

 

There are many people objecting or hesitant for justifiable reasons.

You've made this claim before and have provided nothing to support the claim that the reasons to remain unvaccinated at this time are either justifiable or valid.  

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×

Sanction health professionals from challenging the efficacy of treatments?  Make it illegal to counter test scientific theories?  That sounds dangerous.  Science shouldn’t be questioned?  Questioning, and testing theories is the basis of science.  

2
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Adult Internal Medicine.
15 hours ago, jive turkey said:

There are many people objecting or hesitant for justifiable reasons.

As far as placing blame for spread squarely at the feet of the unvaccinated, we must consider that the vaccinated can still get COVID, can still spread, and reports are emerging that even their viral load may be similar to the unvaccinated.  

Latest vaccine hesitancy survey shows the majority of people not vaccinated are so due to non-justifiable reasons.  In fact, the majority (when given the opportunity) select just about all of the reasons. 

https://docs.cdn.yougov.com/uzvg6sbeov/20210819_yahoo_vaccine_toplines.pdf

Are covid hospitalizations (or case positivity) rates higher in states that have higher or lower vaccination rates?

 

Least-Vaccinated-States-Lead-Spike-in-Children’s-Cases-Leaving-Some-Hospitals-Stretched-The-New-York-Times.png

Least-Vaccinated-States-Lead-Spike-in-Children’s-Cases-Leaving-Some-Hospitals-Stretched-The-New-York-Times.png
2
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Adult Internal Medicine.
29 minutes ago, Queen Tiye said:

Sanction health professionals from challenging the efficacy of treatments?  Make it illegal to counter test scientific theories?  That sounds dangerous.  Science shouldn’t be questioned?  Questioning, and testing theories is the basis of science.  

That's not what the issue is. 

The issue is individuals that use their credentials as trusted healthcare professionals to spread false information, conspiracy theories, etc. 

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Operating room, ER, Home Health.

How many times in science was false information, conspiracy theories proven to be right?  Earth is flat and the sun orbits the earth. 

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×

My hope is that as nurses, advocates in the caring profession, that we can enter into discord about sensitive topics without hostility.  I am seeing a mob mentality that is void of respect for others with differing opinions.

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Adult Internal Medicine.
5 minutes ago, Jeckrn1 said:

How many times in science was false information, conspiracy theories proven to be right?  Earth is flat and the sun orbits the earth. 

Science is in a constant process of re-evaluation. 

Can you cite an example of a conspiracy theory that science was wrong about?

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in NICU, PICU, Transport, L&D, Hospice.
18 minutes ago, Queen Tiye said:

My hope is that as nurses, advocates in the caring profession, that we can enter into discord about sensitive topics without hostility.  I am seeing a mob mentality that is void of respect for others with differing opinions.

Maybe you are experiencing emotions and feelings related to guilt or defensiveness rather than "seeing mob mentality" when confronted uniformly about the correctness of vaccinating against this contagion. One should expect the vast majority of nurses to accept the science and data that supports recommendations to vaccinate ASAP. 

Do you have a right to ask affected health professionals to set aside their feelings of frustration in deference to the victimhood feelings of the unvaccinated?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Adult Internal Medicine.
50 minutes ago, Queen Tiye said:

My hope is that as nurses, advocates in the caring profession, that we can enter into discord about sensitive topics without hostility.  I am seeing a mob mentality that is void of respect for others with differing opinions.

I honestly believe most of the "hostility", perceived or actual, associated with vaccination discord is due to the fact that one side is approaching it from a scientific and factual position while the other side has an opinion that is primarily (most often) emotionally based. There is bound to be conflict with this.

4
Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion