King5.com

The Washington State Nurses Association has filed a federal lawsuit against MultiCare Heath System, which operates several hospitals in Pierce and south King counties.

The suit seeks an injunction against MultiCare and its new policy of mandating that hospital staffers get a flu shot or wear a surgical mask as a condition of employment.

The WSNA says they can be fired for refusing to do one of the other, and some nurses feel an employer should not force them into a personal health care decision.

“MultiCare’s unilateral implementation of this policy blatantly ignores their legal obligation to bargain with the union,” said Barbara Frye, BSN, RN, Assistant Executive Director of Labor Relations for WSNA.

The WSNA represents more than 16,000 registered nurses in the state.

The lawsuit seeks an injunction to prevent the implementation of this vaccination policy for registered nurses at both Tacoma General and Good Samaritan Hospital.

The WSNA believes that wearing a mask will serve as a sort of scarlet letter. Nurses who do get the shot will wear the special color coded badges to let others know they have been vaccinated.

“WSNA fully supports a voluntary vaccination program and we have been tireless in educating our nurses and the public about flu vaccinations and other prevention tips,” said Judy Huntington, MN, RN, Executive Director of WSNA.

This is the latest in a growing controversy over whether employers can and should ask or even require workers to get immunized. Seattle’s Virginia Mason Medical Center was the first hospital in the country to require flu shots for staffers in 2005. Those who refused have to wear face masks during flu season, or possibly be fired.

MutliCare Health system operates several hospitals in the region, including Tacoma General and Mary Bridge.

The State of New York, hit hard by swine earlier this year, is now requiring all health workers to be immunized. The New York City school district has ordered one million doses of vaccine.