Posted on 07/02/2025 3:16:47 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Tips to persuade, and lead with empathy, in the dreaded vaccine conversation
I am hearing a story repeated across specializations and practice settings: Clinicians and caregivers alike are avoiding -- or dreading -- vaccine conversations. Often, they leave conversations with feelings of resentment (instead of clarity) as well. For clinicians, the need to "debunk" myths or correct irrational statements can induce angst because they know the facts; they want to provide the best possible care. Yet, they can't seem to speak the right language.
The experience can be draining and disheartening, and many of us grow weary of trying. Have you found yourself, more and more, accepting what patients or caregivers say without discussing the evidence-based guidance to provide immunizations for all age-eligible children?
I am a pediatric nurse practitioner, a scholar of vaccine hesitancy, and I am writing to encourage you to have the tough conversations. With the right tactics, they don't have to feel so intimidating. We can and should have the "talk." (No, not the safe sex talk -- the one about preventing diseases that can be passed from person to person without physical contact!)
In 2025, science is being overshadowed by opinions. Vaccine skepticism (I would go so far as to say vaccine hatred) has taken over social media platforms. This is causing an unprecedented number of parents and caregivers to reject having their children immunized. They may question a vaccine for fear of side effects, lack of knowledge of the disease they are being protected against, or a desire to live a more natural lifestyle.
Oftentimes, these individuals are resistant to having vaccine discussions with their pediatric clinicians. Clinicians who try to have "the talk" may feel frustrated because of the extra time it takes during a visit to discuss concerns of caregivers that may be grounded in conspiracy or misinformation. Offering fact-based information is often met with further resistance and can increase the tension in small exam rooms.
Many clinicians may feel that they "know better" than these parents and are well-trained to combat parental online research. We are not in a battle, however. There are better ways to approach the "talk."
As healthcare professionals, we are taught how to have difficult conversations. In our pre-licensure programs, we learn a range of evidence-informed approaches such as de-escalation techniques, crisis response and debriefs, active bystander strategies, and more. We can borrow empathetic listening and persuasion tactics from all of these practices.
When approaching the vaccine conversation, it's time to dust off the skills of motivational interviewingopens in a new tab or window in particular, and put those to use. Recall, with motivational interviewing, the key skill for the clinician is listening: Find out what the caregiver feels and if there is anything that would support them in making the decision to vaccinate. Inquisitiveness drives motivational interviewing; instead of telling parents what we think is best for their child, we should be listening for "the why" that underscores the decision to forgo what we believe is the standard of care.
Questions to help start this conversation include:
Would you be open to discussing vaccination today?
What are some of your thoughts and feelings about vaccination?
Can you tell me what you have heard about this vaccine?
(If you sense hesitation) Is there a concern you have regarding vaccines?
What is your experience with vaccination?
Create a comfortable space for the caregivers to discuss their fears and listen to what they have to say. Do not dismiss them. Take a deep breath and then repeat back what you heard. Validate their worries and recognize that they are doing their best to care for and protect their kid(s) -- just like you are. Then ask if you can offer them information on what you know about vaccines.
In my experience, particularly with the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, a caregiver will often decline and tell me they need to do more research. Our scholarly brains tell us that the evidence is plentiful; we know the data from randomized control trials; we know that certain strains of HPVopens in a new tab or window have been linked to cervical, oral, neck, and anal cancers.
Might I offer that when you encounter this response in the future, that you simply state, "That's great! I respect that you want to know as much as you can about this vaccine. Here are a few resources for you." And then share the following list:
The National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP) Immunization Special Interest Group
Vaccines & Diseases -- Vaccinate Your Family
Unity Consortium, Improving the Vaccination Experience
Improving the Vaccination Experience: Immunize.org
Vaccine Webinar Series from the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Vaccinate With Confidence
If you are providing pediatric care at any level, vaccine recommendations should occur. We know the vaccine schedule is supported by pediatric professional organizations such as NAPNAP and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has historically provided expert guidance to the CDC for updates, changes, and retractions from the schedule.
Finally, we need to tell caregivers what their chosen media outlets' headlines are likely not saying: There is a measles outbreak with more than 1,200 casesopens in a new tab or window, and this is the worst we have seen since 2019. There is a cost of life and dollars associated with this outbreak, and just one decision against vaccinating a child could end up with the ultimate price of diminished health or the purchase of a tiny casket.
No, I am not suggesting we lead with fear. However, we must cautiously deliver facts to capture the attention of caregivers who sit on the fence and who, with our expert advice, may decide that the pinch of the needle is worth it for their child(ren).
Stacy B. Buchanan, DNP, RN,opens in a new tab or window is assistant professor (clinical track) in the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing at Emory University. She is also a committee member and chair of the immunization special interest group in the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP). She serves as liaison to ACIP on behalf of NAPNAP. The opinions expressed are hers and do not represent those of Emory University.
Disclosures
Buchanan has worked with NAPNAP on a COVID-19 provider education initiative for which she received honoraria.
Wow, it's now an experience. Are they sure it is not a 'journey'?
I am not trying to convince anyone anymore. I will just defend myself from not having things forced on me.
Anyone promoting Covid19 mRNA “vaxes” is automatically discrediting themselves to me.
When my wifes oncologist says they have been dealing with a lot of serious side effects due to the shots it makes me glad I never had one.
The “experts” need to explain stuff to us because they are brilliant and we are stupid.
Got it!
Lol.
1. It is NOT a "vaccine" as it contains NONE of the viral components, alive or dead.
2. It does not prevent you from catching Covid.
3. It does not prevent you from spreading Covid.
I'm sorry that healthcare professionals are constrained from admitting these truths, but those are the reasons my family is not taking the shot.
Here… let me give provide an example for the template of this ‘talk’.
Years ago, the plant manager of a large steel plant asked me to investigate some new equipment they bought that they had a lot of problems with. It was apparent that the manufacturer had not considered all sorts of important details and what they had built was a disaster. Anyway, at some point there was a meeting where the manufacturer was called in to explain what they had done with the design of this equipment. This was a very expensive issue and at the outset of the meeting, you could have cut the tension in the conference room with a knife. The plant manager was about to get launched into a something that was much more than a ‘strongly worded statement’ and he was barely five words in when the president of the equipment manufacturer put up his hand and said…. “let me stop you right there before you continue…. There is no pussyfooting around this…. we f*cked up. Now with that out of the way, let’s continue the discussion with how we make this right and where we go from there.” It was like fully inflated balloon had just been let loose.
Anyway, that’s the starting point for that discussion…all it needs is three words.
From RFK Jr's website, ChildrensHealthDefense.org. If you want the free book, you enter your email address - overview posted below.
35 secrets that the media, government and Big Pharma don’t want you to know about vaccines.
“The Measles Book: Thirty-Five Secrets the Government and the Media Aren’t Telling You about Measles and the Measles Vaccine” will help you determine whether this is just another example of media, government, and industry misinformation or whether we really have something to worry about.
“The Measles Book” presents reliable medical information from credible sources. Within the book’s pages, the reader will discover 35 secrets being kept from the general public about childhood vaccines, especially the measles vaccine, including:
- Vaccines are not safe for every child, and the government and pharmaceutical companies have known this for years.
- Some children will get injured or die from vaccines, and the government and pharmaceutical companies know this, too.
- Pharmaceutical companies have developed an incredible way to make money from vaccines and not be held accountable.
- When a child is injured or killed by a vaccine, the pharmaceutical company does not pay for the damage it caused — we do!
Learn the other 31 secrets when you read “The Measles Book” by Children’s Health Defense, a nonprofit organization committed to the health of our children and challenging misinformation spread by Big Pharma, government and media. The information in “The Measles Book” helps parents make informed decisions for their children.
Over educated nonsense. Blah, blah, big word here, blah, blah, talk down to everyone, blah, blah.
The talk is one two-letter word: No!
The evil CDC changed the definition of ‘vaccine’ to include the crap they pumped into the arms of millions of people.
As RFKJ just pointed out to Tucker, many pediatric practices get more than half their revenue from jabs, and they also are only eligible for big bonuses on top of that if they have, say, 90 or 95% uptake among all their patients.
Unfortunately, RFKJ just approved fast-tracking a “self-amplifying” (that is spread from person to person) mRNA jab.
What I "hear" in this article is that they are saying it is ALWAYS in the patient's best interest to vaccinate. There's never a valid reason to say no.
I don't think they're listening.
https://archive.ph/yhrGe#selection-1513.0-1525.56
CVS Offers Bonuses and Pizza Parties as Perks to Boost Vaccine Sale.
High-margin inoculations bring more customers into drugstores.
The pharmacy chain is giving bonuses to some staff whose stores exceed vaccination goals. And earlier this month in Rhode Island, CVS offered some pharmacies an extra incentive — raffling off a pizza party, taco lunch, donuts and ice cream for staff, according to an email reviewed by Bloomberg News. Another prize is a day off at the beach for the pharmacy manager.
The company is also phoning and texting customers encouraging them to get shots, and working with social media influencers to remind people how easy it is to get vaccinations – for Covid, flu or just about anything else.
And, of course, vaccines are good for CVS’s bottom line.
Pediatrician blows the whistle on financial incentives given to doctors for administering vaccines – NaturalNews.com
Childhood vaccines may help prevent certain illnesses, but they also help line the pockets of the doctors who administer them, one prominent pediatrician has warned, underscoring how important it is for parents to stay informed about vaccine dangers and weigh their options carefully.
In a recent interview with Children’s Health Defense, Dr. Paul Thomas explained the impact of not sticking to the CDC’s official childhood vaccine schedule on his pediatric practice.
Dr. Thomas, who is a Dartmouth-trained pediatrician, explained what happened when he started telling parents at his practice that they could choose to vaccinate their children according to the official CDC schedule, spread out the vaccines and administer them more slowly than recommended so the child’s immune system can develop first, or forgo vaccines altogether.
Many parents chose to skip vaccines, and he quickly observed a financial impact on his practice, which saw around 15,000 patients and had 33 staff members. After carrying out an analysis of billing records and the income they made via vaccine administration fees and quality bonuses related to vaccination rates, he discovered that they were losing more than a million dollars due to refused vaccines.
He said that pediatric practices depend on the income from vaccines to stay in business as overhead costs can be as high as 80 percent. There are a lot of costs involved in running a pediatric office, from nurses and receptionists to medical records and billing.
The financial incentives that doctors receive for administering vaccines are what keep them in business.
and a ton more similar links:
https://yandex.com/search/?text=incentives+for+doctors+administering+vaccinations
I hope she would not be offended if her patients told her she was a whore for Big Pharma!
That “definition” change is bogus and unscientific and purely political.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.