A Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) nursing student who will not take the COVID-19 vaccine said other people in the profession she’s pursuing are losing their jobs for similar reasons.
This, because certain nurses also won’t allow anyone to inject them with the shot, said MTSU student Avery Garfield.
“I just feel like you will see a fight for a shift in the overworked and underpaid nursing burnout that you see all over the country,” Garfield told The Tennessee Star this week.
Avery said police officers forced her from class last week because she refused the COVID-19 vaccine. She said she will continue to oppose a school policy that defies her beliefs and her legal rights.
“If there are fewer nurses then we will have a problem,” Garfield said.
“We already have a nursing shortage in this country, and if hospitals are willingly laying off good workers who just don’t want their rights to be violated then we will have some issues.”
Fortune.com reported last week that about 39 percent of U.S. hospitals have announced vaccine mandates for staff members.
“It’s not just nurses at stake with vaccine mandates. Respiratory techs, nursing assistants, food service employees, billing staff and other health care workers are already in short supply. According to the latest KFF/The Washington Post Frontline Health Care Workers Survey, released in April, at least one-third of health care workers who assist with patient care and administrative tasks have considered leaving the workforce,” according to Fortune.
“The combination of burnout and added stress of people leaving their jobs has worn down the health care workers the public often forgets about, said interventional radiology tech Joseph Brown, who works at Sutter Roseville Medical Center outside Sacramento, Calif. This has a domino effect, Brown said: More of his co-workers are going on stress and medical leave as their numbers dwindle and while hospitals run out of beds. He said nurses’ aides already doing backbreaking work are suddenly forced to care for more patients.”
Garfield told The Star this week that healthcare is in her blood — she said her father also works in the healthcare profession.
“I remember when I first was taking some sciences. I was taking anatomy and physiology. When I got to the hard section. I loved it. I want to work with this stuff for the rest of my life. I love it. It’s me. It’s my passion,” Garfield said.
“I want to help people. I love being able to use this skill of mine in such a powerful way to change and save people’s lives. I feel it is where I belong.”
Garfield’s attorney, Russell Newman, has taken legal action on Garfield’s behalf. He said Friday that MTSU officials cannot mandate the COVID-19 vaccine.
“You cannot mandate an unapproved vaccine,” said Newman, who is based out of Brentwood.
“That is the position that we are taking. You cannot mandate it. Therefore an exemption is not needed or required.”
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Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Avery Garfield” by Avery Garfield.
[…] We already had a shortage of nurses and other health care workers before this pandemic, and now all of the various mandates that have been instituted threaten to cause a meltdown of the entire system… […]
[…] We already had a shortage of nurses and other health care workers before this pandemic, and now all of the various mandates that have been instituted threaten to cause a meltdown of the entire system… […]
[…] We already had a shortage of nurses and other health care workers before this pandemic, and now all of the various mandates that have been instituted threaten to cause a meltdown of the entire system… […]
[…] We already had a shortage of nurses and other health care workers before this pandemic, and now all of the various mandates that have been instituted threaten to cause a meltdown of the entire system… […]
[…] We already had a shortage of nurses and other health care workers before this pandemic, and now all of the various mandates that have been instituted threaten to cause a meltdown of the entire system… […]
[…] We already had a shortage of nurses and other health care workers before this pandemic, and now all of the various mandates that have been instituted threaten to cause a meltdown of the entire system… […]
[…] We already had a shortage of nurses and other health care workers before this pandemic, and now all of the various mandates that have been instituted threaten to cause a meltdown of the entire system… […]
Lemmings make lousy citizens. These medical personnel who refuse these death shots are better prepared to work as health care professionals than the dopes prone into getting jabbed or running off cliffs under pressure. Remember, folks. Sheep do NOT follow the shepherd. Sheep follow the dominant ram. If a few coyotes panic this dominant ram and chase it off a cliff, entire herds of sheep have been known to follow this panicked ram, RIGHT OFF THE CLIFF. Personnel taking the jab are going by these instincts to avoid losing, like their bosses panicked over the possibility they may lose their professional license for refusing the jab, and not concerned for aspects of health, WHATSOEVER.
Many of our seasoned RNs are leaving. Sad to see and dangerous for patients.
It has not been fully approved.
How can a vaccine be approved for use in less than a year? People that had the vaccine are catching COVID. They even want employees that had COVID to get vaccinated. Many seasoned RNs are leaving hospitals that mandate.
Sorry to say COVID will be with us a long time. The hospitals that are mandating the shot will have critically low staff. If I get sick, and I am a RN ,I’m going to a hospital that doesn’t mandate.They will be much better staffed.
Good for them I hope all you people that push this crap on people lose your jobs over this .you all know it’s crap so you need to stop .I hope every one that works for you quits
They do realize that the Pfizer vaccine has been approved right? Looks like a losing battle for her.
Tiffany, please do not be the only one who still does not realize that : the existing Pfizer injection was/is not approved. what was approved is a vaccine Pfizer claims to be working on – but has not released yet. Just a little more lethal game playing by Pfizer…and the MSM is in on the very inside joke… Take care.🙏🏼❤
Good for you Avery Garfield – thank you for taking a stand!!!
Continued success in your life & nursing career…
Good , bad, or ugly, it is very likely that the health care industry will indeed exacerbate its worker shortage substantially by requiring the jab- whether the jab works or not. It should be considered that in a health care setting extra physical barriers are being used by trained professionals -i.e. – gowns, gloves, visor shields, fitted respirators. Additional measures are in place like limited exposure times, negative pressure air flow measures – and- their equipment is replaced after each use- as opposed to wearing a scarf over your face, or same mask for a week. There are also hand washing and anti- microbial gels/sprays that they use on their hands regularly, and the UV pulse lamps – very effective. So , don’t run them away in the middle of sky-rocketing admissions by threatening them with a COVID jab. That is jeopardizing the public safety waaay more than not requiring a jab. Right now , nurses are being offered 100.00+ per hour in many COVID units around the country. If it’s a nursing agency, that means the hospital is probably paying 250.00+ an hour to get that nurse. What do you think that is going to do to healthcare costs?
Contrary to the liberal fantasy line, the vaccines are not safe, nor do they protect you from becoming infected. The survival rate from the viruses is greater than 99% and those hospitalized have comorbidity. If you want to remain healthy quit drinking gallons of Coke every week and stop eating fast food every day. And most importantly, get off the damn couch and get some exercise.
I think some people consider getting vaccinated the same as religion. They disregard their personal health because they believe they are going to heaven. Likewise, they place all their faith in the experimental vaccine while at the same time doing nothing to change their detrimental lifestyle.