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Julianne Johnson says being a registered nurse is a “profession that runs deep in my veins” and is “part of my core identity.”
She quit anyway.
Johnson knew her October 8 resignation letter — that ripped into Alberta Health Services (AHS) rebuking its betrayal of health care workers with a vaccine mandate and raising alarms about patient care — could result in her licence being yanked.
She submitted it anyway — then posted it on her Facebook Page.
“They could take away my licence accusing me of spreading misinformation,” Johnson told Western Standard.
“Am I afraid to speak out? Yes. I’ve been attacked by some previous coworkers. I fear more what will happen to a country I love if I don’t speak out,” said Johnson, who worked as a casual RN since 2013 in five Alberta hospitals, the last being Grande Prairie’s Queen Elizabeth 11.
“It’s about the ethic of not only forcing the vaccine on all employees, but also the ethic of tolerating physicians forcing it on their patients. They claim equitable access for everyone, but that’s not happening. While AHS may not agree with it on paper, they’re tolerating it.”
A firestorm erupted over her letter to AHS officials. Johnson was praised for having courage to express widespread fears and frustrations. She triggered “outrage and backlash” from others who viewed her concerns as a personal affront and bullied her with “unfounded” accusations.
Johnson refused to get into a “catfight” distracting from her intended message.
“I lay the blame solely at AHS’s feet. They’ve created a system that will damage patients. If you take out nurses and doctors who are against this — they’re going to leave, be kicked out — especially in the rural areas, it’s going to affect access to care.”
AHS employees, including frontline health care workers must get their second COVID-19 dose by October 16 or be placed on unpaid leave. Many refuse for religious or medical reasons
“I’m a person of faith and my faith affects every aspect of my life, but I’ve received many vaccines in my life.”
Johnson, who contracted COVID-19 in April, won’t get the COVID-19 vaccination and explicitly told AHS why she resigned.
“I cannot ethically work for a company that tells the public they’re facing an unprecedented crisis necessitating lockdown measures, while simultaneously threatening to place thousands of health care workers and doctors on unpaid leave of absence,” she wrote.
“We have all safely worked, unvaccinated, for the duration of this pandemic, but now we will all be prohibited from providing care to our province, simply because of our vaccination status. What blatant disregard for our work dedication, skill, and education.
“I am genuinely appalled at AHS’s incredibly hypocritical treatment of its employees and physicians. Therefore, I cannot and will not work for AHS so long as they mandate the COVID-19 vaccine to all their staff with such complete and utter disregard for personal choice, medical freedom, and informed consent.”
Being coerced under duress and threat of job loss violates patient autonomy, informed consent, and right to refuse.
She claims AHS moved away from patient-centred care, patient autonomy, and informed voluntary consent.
“Nursing has always been a way for me to help people make the best decisions possible for their own bodies and their own situations. We were taught over and over again in university to give our patients all the information, and support whatever decision THEY made,” she wrote.
“Many nights I have sat down on the edge of a patient’s bed, or on a chair on a dark room, and answered question after question that they didn’t have time to ask their doctor(s) during the morning rounds. Countless times I have countered false assumptions … and offered possible solutions to situations that simply had not been previously addressed for that person. We called in patient-centred care.”
“Now we can only say what one side of the issue believes. Now everyone is forced to have the SAME treatment, regardless of whether it endangers their life, is statistically useless to them, or could actually help them … That’s not what I signed up for,” she wrote.
Until now, sharing information has been required in the nursing profession.
“Imagine a health care system where new information is stifled if it doesn’t conform to previously held beliefs/information. Pretty stagnant at best. Deadly at worst,” she wrote.
“Now imagine that all professionals who have the courage to ask unpopular questions, and who are all curious enough to look at the other side of the coin, are all gone. Only those who agree with every AHS mandate are allowed to remain. Now you have totalitarian healthcare. Deadly at best. Genocidal at worst.”
Johnson claimed unvaccinated family members are being refused care and chastised AHS for it.
“I cannot ethically practice nursing for a company/government that has such disdain (for) patient autonomy,” she wrote.
“I cannot ethically work for a company/government which will refuse pacemaker surgery to a patient simply because of their vaccination status.
“I cannot ethically work for a company/government that tolerates obstetricians refusing care to pregnant mothers and their babies who choose to wait until after birth/breastfeeding to receive a vaccine that is NOT Category A in pregnancy,” she wrote.
Johnson, who comes from a medical family — her father is a physician — has volunteered on medical missions in Sierra, Leon, Congo, and Iraq.
“I’m concerned about the future of health care and where it will go if people aren’t willing to stand up and don’t recognize the ethical landslide that we are stepping in.”
An AHS director of patient care offered to meet.
“I’m considering a meeting. It’s good to tell people face-to-face what you believe.”
Slobodian is the Senior Manitoba Columnist for the Western Standard
lslobodian@westernstandardonline.com
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