What to do about DNP and flu shot?

[Travelingon]

I am finishing my MSN soon, and had thought that I would get my DNP. However, I am second guessing this after a big ordeal from my school about me not taking a flu shot. My hospital does not require it if I wear a mask. I hate to put the time and money into getting a DNP, and at some point be required to take a flu shot to work in nursing. I WILL NOT. I will change careers. I’m not looking for pro flu shot comments here. However, I am looking for advice and useful information on what you think the future holds in this matter. I also have an MBA, and can just as easily go into a DBA program.

[Trinam2006]

On 1/29/2020 at 8:54 PM, LovingLife123 said:

Career change. It should not be possible to get a masters or doctorate in nursing and not believe in the flu shot.

Thats pretty ignorant of a statement. Thanks to research, many people are against taking the flu shot if they are healthy individuals. It does not stop the transmission of the virus but limits your symptoms. This in no way helps the patients, and in fact, may actually put them in danger because you could have contracted the virus and are only showing mild sx and still go to work and then pass it to those who are already ill and have taxed immune systems. Believe what you want, but lets not attack others for their personal choices. 

[subee, MSN, CRNA]

But, if they refuse a flu shot, will they be able to get into health care facilities to do clinicals?

[Bumex, DNP, NP]

16 minutes ago, Trinam2006 said:

Have you considered Naturopathic Doctor or DO? 

DO is not on par with ND. DO is based in actual science, not pseudoscientific folklore. 

[Bumex, DNP, NP]

12 minutes ago, Trinam2006 said:

Thats pretty ignorant of a statement. Thanks to research, many people are against taking the flu shot if they are healthy individuals. It does not stop the transmission of the virus but limits your symptoms. This in no way helps the patients, and in fact, may actually put them in danger because you could have contracted the virus and are only showing mild sx and still go to work and then pass it to those who are already ill and have taxed immune systems. Believe what you want, but lets not attack others for their personal choices. 

Thanks to what research? You mean the debunked Andrew Wakefield? There is no one against flu shots that believes in real science, with the exception of certain religious individuals. 

The flu shot has been proven to limit transmission by increasing immune response and reducing viral loads. 

Believe what you want, I will believe in real science. Any one who doesn't 'believe' in real science doesn't have a solid place in nursing or medicine. We are not attacking 'beliefs.' The statement you responded to was merely stating their own opinion, which is shared by most of us in the scientific community. 

[canoehead, BSN, RN]

In Canada, personal healthcare decisions are not mandated by your employer. It was litigated in BC, specifically around flu shots. Have you thought about moving?

 

I believe in flu shots, but I’m not happy about the adjuvants that encourage your immune system to respond, and increase the efficacy of the shot. It’s a kick in your immune system yearly, and possibly twice with the COVID vaccine coming into play. I’d prefer (literally) being sneezed on yearly, and scheduling an illness to getting the shot. 

[speedynurse, ADN, BSN, RN, EMT-P]

On 1/30/2020 at 8:23 AM, KCMnurse said:

As you have managed to get this far in your career without taking the 'flu shot I suppose it is possible for you to continue without it. I would, however, caution that it is quite possible that you will be refused acceptance to clinical sites that have the right to mandate that all their staff are vaccinated. If you have a religious or medical reason for an exemption that might help your cause.

Yes. Most healthcare systems are going more this way which is just the way it is now. There are legitimate exemptions for medical or religious purposes but even those are hard to get approved.

[MunoRN, RN]

7 hours ago, Trinam2006 said:

Thats pretty ignorant of a statement. Thanks to research, many people are against taking the flu shot if they are healthy individuals. It does not stop the transmission of the virus but limits your symptoms. This in no way helps the patients, and in fact, may actually put them in danger because you could have contracted the virus and are only showing mild sx and still go to work and then pass it to those who are already ill and have taxed immune systems. Believe what you want, but lets not attack others for their personal choices. 

There's no shortage of ignorant claims made about vaccines around here, but that's one of the more ignorant.

First, even if it were true that the effect of the vaccine is to reduce symptoms, it's symptoms such as coughing that are an important mechanism in transmitting the virus to others.

But more importantly, the influenza vaccine impedes the proliferation of the virus in the body, not the symptoms, although I suppose you could argue that by preventing the infectious process it is then indirectly reducing symptoms.

The influenza vaccine works by stimulating your immune system to produce antibodies to the targeted strains, these antibodies then prevent cells that the influenza virus have infected and are using to proliferate itself from releasing those viruses.  This certainly doesn't occur in everyone who receives the virus, it does in about 70% of vaccinated individuals, which is far better than nothing.

 When those viruses can't engage in the exponential proliferation that can occur without an antibody immune response then the person is far less likely to transmit the virus.  You can't spread viruses that your immune system has prevented from existing. 

[Jedrnurse, BSN, RN]

God save us from the upcoming battles around the COVID-19 vaccine...

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

41 minutes ago, Jedrnurse said:

God save us from the upcoming battles around the COVID-19 vaccine...

You may be interested in some of the COVID vaccine threads in the disaster forum