Mandatory Vaccinations for Nurses are Now the Law in Oregon: What We Do Next is Crucial

Aug. 26, 2021

The Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) Board of Directors unanimously approved the following statement regarding Governor Brown’s recent rule change implementing mandatory vaccinations for health care workers in the state:

“The question of whether or not health care workers should be required to get vaccinated has been answered: mandatory vaccinations against COVID-19 for nurses and other health care workers are now the law in Oregon. 

ONA calls upon all nurses to get vaccinated before the Oct. 18 deadline or, alternatively, fill out the necessary paperwork for a medical or deeply held religious belief exemption. Failure to do so may result in the termination of unvaccinated nurses at a time when Oregon faces an unprecedented staffing crisis.

Our patients and our communities need you at the bedside, now more than ever before. The science is clear: vaccinations are safe and effective, and nurses and other health care workers who are vaccinated are acting in line with our ethical, clinical, and professional responsibilities to our patients. 

To all nurses in Oregon who can, ONA says ‘get vaccinated.’

ONA will continue to fight tirelessly for our members at the bargaining table on the impacts of this new mandatory vaccination requirement. That includes fighting to ensure you are provided appropriate levels of PPE, paid time off for adverse effects of the vaccination, more (and more substantial) retention and hazard pay, pushing hard for safe staffing, and more.

At a time when nurses, and our state’s health care system, are at the breaking point, we must stand united in the face of historic failures on the part of hospitals to ensure safe staffing. All nurses know that this staffing crisis has been years in the making; the COVID-19 pandemic has simply pushed those failures into the spotlight.

This current level of crisis was created by hospitals who have failed to invest in their nursing staff, failed to recruit and retain experienced nurses, placed a greater focus on profitability than patient outcomes, and have done so at the expense of nurses. 

We have so much work to do for our patients, and for each other. We have so many more issues that unite us than we do that divide us; safe staffing, nurse recruitment and retention, increasing the number of future nurses, increased pay for nursing faculty, iron-clad protections against violence in the workplace, ensuring rest and meal breaks, improving working conditions and wages; these must be our focus now.”

Virtual Town Hall for ONA Members, Sept. 1

The Oregon Nurses Association Board of Directors is holding a virtual “ONA Town Hall” on Wednesday, Sept. 1 at 7:00 pm. ONA members are invited to register for this event online. 

ONA Town Hall
Wednesday, Sept. 1
7:00-8:00 p.m.

ONA Members must register in advance for this event

The Town Hall will give our members the opportunity to hear from your elected leaders on the Board and our cabinets, get answers to crucial questions, and learn more about what ONA is doing on the ground and in your facilities to bargain over this new mandatory vaccination requirement. 

We hope you will join us for this Town Hall, and thank you for all you do, every day, for your patients and your profession.

Town Hall Registration

Personalized registration links were sent to each ONA member via email. If you did not receive your invitation email, please contact ONA at news@oregonrn.org.

This event is for ONA members only.