An anti-vax nurse recorded herself as she was escorted out of a California hospital after being placed on unpaid leave for refusing to...
An anti-vax nurse recorded herself as she was escorted out of a California hospital after being placed on unpaid leave for refusing to get vaccinated against COVID-19 due to 'sincerely held religious beliefs.'
'I don't know what kind of pandemic it is if they're firing nurses who are willing to work,' the Kaiser Permanente Hospital nurse says during the five-minute rant.
The viral video, originally shared in the platform rumble and reposted on Twitter by TV personality Gillian McKeith on Saturday, now has more than 5 million views.
It is unclear what Kaiser Hospital in California the unidentified nurse worked at; the group operates dozens of hospitals in the U.S.
'I am being escorted out of Kaiser Permanente Hospital because of my religious beliefs because I don't want to get the jab and, um, I asked all day for someone to explain to me why my sincerely held religious beliefs are not enough for Kaiser,' she begins the video.
A security guard and two other nurses can be seen walking behind the woman in the recording as she defends her decision based on religious beliefs, which she did not specify in the video.
The viral video, originally shared in the platform rumble and reposted on Twitter by TV personality Gillian McKeith on Saturday, now has more than 5 million views. A security guard and two other nurses can be seen walking behind the woman in the recording.
It is unclear what Kaiser Hospital in California the nurse worked at
Gillian McKeith, whose post first brought attention to the video, called the hospital's decision 'coercion'
'And no one was able to do that for me. So now they're escorting me out because I wanted an answer and I'm not leaving without an answer. And I have some nurses here standing in solidarity with me and I appreciate that,' she adds.
The woman then addresses the viewer and says that she is willing to sacrifice her job for her freedom to decline the vaccine.
'I want all of you to count the cost. I want to watch this and think 'What really matters to me?' Because I'm willing to risk my safety and security, my house - everything - for my freedom, and I want you to think about that,' she says.
The nurse then enters the elevator with the security officer and the other hospital employees and questions them about their stances on religious freedoms.
'Let me ask you, do you believe in religious freedom?' she asks.
'I do,' replies the security officer.
'Well Kaiser doesn't,' the nurse says.
She goes on to claim that she had been asking for somebody from HR to explain to her why she could not get a religious exemption but does not disclose her faith or how it directly impacts her decision to get vaccinated.
'So I've been asking and asking and no one would give me an answer. That was at 10.45 this morning that I was told that I'm now being placed on unpaid leave.'
'All I want to do is work. Since the beginning. I've been a COVID nurse since the beginning when we didn't know what was going on. When we didn't know what kind of rooms we were walking into. But that's why we are nurses, and I'll keep doing that, just somewhere else,' she says.
'I want all of you to count the cost. I want to watch this and think 'What really matters to me?' Because I'm willing to risk my safety and security, my house - everything - for my freedom, and I want you to think about that,' she said
Nurses account for most US healthcare workers' COVID-19 deaths. According to a report by The Guardian and Kaiser Health News, more than 3,500 US healthcare workers had died from COVID-19 as of March this year
Halfway through the video, the two other nurses say goodbye to the woman as they voice their disagreement with the hospital's decision.
'It's not right. It's not appropriate,' they say.
The woman follows the security guard to the parking lot and questions him once again about his thoughts on religious freedom.
'What would you do if you were in my shoe? If they were telling you you have to violate your sincerely held religious beliefs or lose your job. What would you do?' she asks.
The security simply responds 'I don't know,' adding that he's never been in that situation.
'It's a slippery slope when you start taking away freedoms. So Kaiser, thank you. Thank you for the money. Kaiser pays well, you know, the devil is in the details,' she says, sarcastically hinting at the the recent strikes held by Kaiser workers over pay and working conditions.
'If it's not the vaccine, it'll be something else. I'm taking a stand because I know this is not the end.
'What kind of pandemic are we living in that my kids have to wear masks to school and they have to get a vaccine - something they're not at risk of dying for - What kind of world are we living in if they're firing nurses who don't want to violate their sincerely held religious belief? Right? It's crazy,' she adds.
While some sided with the woman on Twitter, others called her out for her behavior, arguing that she was putting many at risk by refusing the vaccine
'It's a slippery slope when you start taking away freedoms. So Kaiser, thank you,' the nurse argues in the video
Other Twitter users questioned why the nurse was refusing the COVID-19 and wondered if she had been inoculated against other diseases
'Alternate headline: Kaiser Permanente has a job vacancy for a nurse'
User @RNSue3, a fellow Kaiser nurse dismissed the woman's claims and said there were plenty of nurses willing to abide by the hospital's vaccine mandate and take her position
The nurse is eventually escorted seven floors to her car and says 'thank you,' before ending the video.
While some sided with the woman on Twitter, others called her out for her behavior, arguing that she was putting many at risk by refusing the vaccine.
User @RNSue3, a fellow Kaiser nurse dismissed the woman's claims and said there were plenty of nurses willing to abide by the hospital's vaccine mandate and take her position.
'I am also a Kaiser Permanente nurse. I got vaccinated as soon as I possibly could because I didn’t want to endanger myself, my loved ones, or my patients. There are thousands of brand new nurses fresh out of nursing school who can’t get RN jobs. They’ll gladly take yours. See ya,' she said.
Other Twitter users questioned why the nurse was refusing the COVID-19 and wondered if she had been inoculated against other diseases.
However, Gillian McKeith, whose post first brought attention to the video, called the hospital's decision 'coercion.'
'Freedom is everything and you must never give it up,' McKeith captioned it.
Nurses account for most US healthcare workers' COVID-19 deaths.
According to a report by The Guardian and Kaiser Health News, more than 3,500 US healthcare workers had died from COVID-19 as of March this year.
Thirty-two percent of the deaths were among nursing staff.
California is the state with the most lives lost to COVID-19 since the pandemic started, with a death toll of more than 71,000 to the date - around 10percent of the more than 700,000 deaths reported in the country.
Seventy-three percent of Californians are now fully inoculated against COVID-19, compared to 57percent nationwide.
Last month, President Biden announced a new executive order requiring all companies with at least 100 employees to garner proof of vaccination from all of their workers. Those who receive exceptions from their employees can opt for minimum weekly testing instead.
The order will affect at least 80 million workers in the US.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), which falls under the Labor Department, delivered its final draft of the rule to OMB on October 12. The mandate is expected to take effect shortly after the review process is completed.
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