WGU and Flu Shot Declination Pre-Licensure BSN

Nursing Students General Students

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Hi,

I'm awaiting possible acceptance to the pre-license BSN program. I'm concerned about clinical placement since I decline the flu shot yearly. Before anti anti-vacxxers attack me, I have all other vacs required for the program! I do not want to get into a con/pro flu vac debate.

I work at the healthcare system where WGU clinical will be had and I declined the flu shot at work as well. We are then required I have to wear a mask in clinical areas per policy.

The question is whether the flu declination will hinder me from continuing on in the rest of the program after the pre-nursing 1st semester is done? Do you think a facility could have different policies for employees then they do for students?

I don't know if I can pose this question to WGU until I'm well into the 1st semester and when we are due to gather all the requirements (drug test, immunizations, physical, health ins, etc) before going into the 2nd semester so they can start the placement process.

Anyone with any info (from any state) please weigh in on your experience or even what you have heard.

Thank you!

Specializes in Adult Primary Care.
On 1/11/2020 at 6:36 PM, CAFFEINEgtt said:

They only use my organization in FL, AdventHealth (Florida Hospital) for clinicals. There are campuses across the state.

Do you have info on WGU itself?

Also, we have not found flu declination is against WGU's policy as of yet.

Thanks for sharing your personal feelings, but do you work with WGU students?

Do you know anything pertaining to their policy?

I don't care about any school's policy. My clinical site requires flu vaccines before accepting a student NP.

2 Votes
Specializes in Pediatrics, Pediatric Float, PICU, NICU.
On 1/11/2020 at 2:31 PM, CAFFEINEgtt said:

Before anti anti-vacxxers attack me, I have all other vacs required for the program! I do not want to get into a con/pro flu vac debate.

Not con/pro flu vac debate, just curious why you're okay with all over vaccines except for this particular one.

Regardless, many of the other posters are correct in their concerns and statements that you will likely have a hard time finding actual clinical placement even if you do happen to be accepted to a school. My advice would be to just get it done (even if you may not believe it works) since you've had all other required vaccines - unless you are allergic to it or have a strong religious opposition to it, it seems like a silly hill to die on and potentially jeopardize your entire nursing school career on.

6 Votes
Specializes in PICU.

As others have said, just because may not require it, it is often clinical sites that have mandated that ALL nursing students and other students have the flu vaccine. Even though some hospitals may have policies for their employees, you are not an employee. You are a guest in their facility. WHile not every single visitor to the hospital needs to show proof of the flu vaccine, you will be in clinical areas and provding care. Even shadow experiences have to show proof of a flu vaccine.

2 Votes
Specializes in Adult Internal Medicine.

There is an easy way to get the correct answer on this: ask your program. If your program uses only one facility for clinical placements it will be an easy answer.

Per the handbook available online:
Influenza vaccine (or declination form): A seasonal flu vaccination is required on an annual basis. Declining the flu shot may preclude you from being able to attend clinical. If you choose to decline the flu shot, you must get a declination form from Health Placement at . The completed form will need to be upload to your compliance account.

2 Votes
48 minutes ago, Hyperflycemia said:

There is an easy way to get the correct answer on this: ask your program. If your program uses only one facility for clinical placements it will be an easy answer.

Per the handbook available online:
Influenza vaccine (or declination form): A seasonal flu vaccination is required on an annual basis. Declining the flu shot may preclude you from being able to attend clinical. If you choose to decline the flu shot, you must get a declination form from Health Placement at WGU. The completed form will need to be upload to your compliance account.

Thanks for responding.

Yea, I read this in the handbook, too.

I'm asking for any info from anyone who has had any experience in this situation in regards to . I think there aren't many WGU Florida prelicensure program students on this forum (not only on this subject but other topics as well). I'll reach out. Thank you!

1 Votes
Specializes in Adult Internal Medicine.
3 minutes ago, CAFFEINEgtt said:

Thanks for responding.

Yea, I read this in the handbook, too.

I'm asking for any info from anyone who has had any experience in this situation in regards to WGU. I think there aren't many WGU Florida prelicensure program students on this forum (not only on this subject but other topics as well). I'll reach out. Thank you!

The chances of connecting with another student from the same program with this same scenario is probably not likely. Why not just reach out to your program? Can get a definitive answer immediately.

2 Votes
Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.

The definitive answer is the one from the handbook (posted above). You need to get a flu shot to go to clinical. Period. Complete sentence.

10 Votes

Just because your hospital is a partner hospital that does not mean all clinical will be held just in that hospital.

1 Votes
6 hours ago, KeepGoingRN said:

Just because your hospital is a partner hospital that does not mean all clinical will be held just in that hospital.

Ok. Are you thinking because of community health clinicals?

Regular hospital stuff with be at one of my hospital campuses because it's the ONLY organization in the state partnered with the college.

1 Votes
Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.

Instead of coming here with all of these "what ifs", ask the program and get the definitive answer. That will answer the question once and for all, although the handbook statement that you can be denied clinical experiences is pretty much the full answer right there. The program will still take your money even though you won't be able to complete the requirements and graduate.

Just because "it's the ONLY organization in the state partnered with the college" doesn't mean it's the only place you can have clinicals. My nursing program was affiliated with the nearby hospital. We still had clinicals at the (gasp!) competing hospital across town, in provider offices affiliated with one or the other hospital, the teeny tiny community hospital in the next county, the outpatient psychiatric facility, local schools, and local community based health centers.

2 Votes
3 hours ago, Rose_Queen said:

Instead of coming here with all of these "what ifs", ask the program and get the definitive answer. That will answer the question once and for all, although the handbook statement that you can be denied clinical experiences is pretty much the full answer right there. The program will still take your money even though you won't be able to complete the requirements and graduate.

Just because "it's the ONLY organization in the state partnered with the college" doesn't mean it's the only place you can have clinicals. My nursing program was affiliated with the nearby hospital. We still had clinicals at the (gasp!) competing hospital across town, in provider offices affiliated with one or the other hospital, the teeny tiny community hospital in the next county, the outpatient psychiatric facility, local schools, and local community based health centers.

Thanks for the info.

I came here wanting people's personal experiences in regard to this subject. Personal opinions not so much.

Thank you.

1 Votes
2 hours ago, CAFFEINEgtt said:

Thanks for the info.

I came here wanting people's personal experiences in regard to this subject. Personal opinions not so much.

Thank you.

You don't need someone's personal experience. What someone went experienced last year isn't necessarily going to be the same for you this year. Somewhere in the country, there was a clinical site that didn't require the vaccine last year for students, but requires it this year.

All that matters is what your clinical sites require. And regardless of if you work for them or not, you're not on their clock when you're at clinical, so they are not liable for you. Now, for the flu shot, they couldn't care less if you got the flu. BUT, if you spread that flu, the liability has to be put on you or else that's going to kill their compensation for the care of the person who caught the flu in the hospital. And if it's between forcing the patient to pay that bill or keeping it to where insurance is going to cover it, they're going to have insurance cover it. And rather than bill the patient, they're going to bill you. And we all know that you're not going to be able to pay that bill on a student nurse's income. Not even most physicians can afford that bill. So more than likely, you have to get a flu shot or you're not welcome pretty much anywhere for clinical.

It's different when you work there and you're clocked in and working because they're liable for you and THEIR insurance can cover that patient that you got sick, which is why most places will allow their employees to just wear a mask, but students have to have the shot. There's an actual logic behind it. Just go get the shot. Half of us here feel sick after we get it, but we just deal with it, use it as an excuse to relax on the couch and watch TV all day, and then we feel better the next day.

3 Votes
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