Just a year ago Nurses, Healthcare Workers, and First Responders were called heroes. We selflessly cared for patients with inadequate personal protective equipment. We put our own health and wellbeing aside to care for others. Many of us lost their lives to save someone else’s loved one.

We performed life saving measures on individuals we knew would not make it, but we persevered to save lives. When facilities would not allow visitors be at the bedside and hold onto their dying loved one’s hands, we were the ones holding the hand of the dying person so we could tell their family they did not die alone. 

Members of the healthcare community carry a heavy burden; this pandemic has been our biggest cross to bear. However, we have towed the line and have remained unwavering in our care, compassion, and advocacy for our patients and their families.

Now, a year later, we are being fired. Many hospitals and facilities have begun mandating the Covid-19 vaccine. Many states are starting to mandate all Healthcare Workers and State Workers. Businesses outside of healthcare have also begun to mandate employees. Individuals, both vaccinated and unvaccinated, are against mandating any vaccine. The act of mandating removes the individual’s right to choose.

    All members of the healthcare community work tirelessly to advocate for each patient’s body autonomy. Educating patients to make sure they fully understand the plan of care so they can make an informed decision. Constantly ensuring that nothing happens to that patient unless they agree to it.

    Yet we are not allowed the same rights, once an individual is in a position of receiving medical care/treatment, they are no longer Healthcare Workers or employees, they are the patient and should be allowed those same rights. Every patient has the right to informed consent and they have the right to refuse care. However, that is not what is happening; Rhode Islanders are being stripped of their body autonomy and are given the choice of comply or be terminated. Is this how we treat “Heroes”? Is this how we treat Americans?

     Nurses of Rhode Island have come together to create this petition to help advocate for ALL and bring Rhode Islanders together. If we allow the mandating of vaccines for Healthcare Workers and First Responders, we are allowing the opportunity for further removal of body autonomy. This will affect all citizens of the state.

   According to the American Nurses Association Advocacy is considered a pillar of nursing.

The ANA Nurses Code of Ethics states:

Provision 3: The nurse promotes, advocates for, and protects the rights, health, and safety of the patient. 3.1 Protection of the Rights of Privacy and Confidentiality. 3.2 Protection of Human Participants in Research 3.3 Performance Standards and Review Mechanisms 3.4 Professional Responsibility in Promoting a Culture of Safety 3.5 Protection of Patient Health and Safety by Acting on Questionable Practice 3.6 Patient Protection and Impaired Practice.

Provision 9: The profession of nursing, collectively through its professional organizations, must articulate nursing values, maintain the integrity of the profession, and integrate principles of social justice into nursing and health policy. 9.1 Articulation and Assertion of Values 9.2 Integrity of the Profession 9.3 Integrating Social Justice9.4 Social Justice in Nursing and Health Policy

    The Rhode Island nurses composing this petition chose to uphold the Nurses Code of Ethics Provision 3 and provision 9 through advocating for a: Vaccine Choice and Anti-Discrimination Act. Many states are enacting a Vaccine Choice and Anti-Discrimination Act to protect all citizens, including healthcare workers and state workers, from the removal of body autonomy and discrimination. The Act would address: 

·        * Vaccine Choice: For all Rhode Islanders: exemptions are not required to decline the vaccine.

·        * Anti-Discrimination: no employer, business, venue, or the like can discriminate based on vaccination status. Vaccination cannot be a condition of employment. Reasonable accommodations must be implemented

          *No vaccine passports

   We your support, please sign and help us make this happen. We need signatures to show that the people of Rhode Island will not stand for removal of our right to choose. Once we have enough signatures, we can approach local politicians and law makers; then we can begin the process of creating this Act and bring it to vote. This is for all Rhode Islanders who value freedom.