Legal CornerOpinionTop StoriesWorkforce
COVID-19: Can a nurse legally refuse to work?
Nurses are presently working amid the COVID-19 pandemic. But can a nurse legally refuse to work? Most nurses are employed pursuant to a contract of employment. This is a legally binding arrangement between the employer and nurse. It sets out the terms (and there are implied terms also) concerning the legal obligations that both parties have towards each other. Of course, every contract cannot take into account every eventuality. Hence the terms of mutual obligation are drafted broadly and generically.
Please login below to view content or subscribe now.
A great article, clarifying some of the tricky areas of work for Nurses on the front line.
Thankyou for paying tribute to Nurses in this unprecedented time, they really are the Soldiers on this war against Covid-19.
I am an RN working in an Independent Living , assisted care , Retirement Lodge, one RN and patient carers on duty during the day. I really appreciate the RNs in the front line, which would have been me several years ago in a Hospital setting. Even so, I have had to go sick from work feeling unwell with a virus, and be tested, to ensure the safety of my work place and its elderly residents. The test result was Negative, but worthwhile to be sure.
Thankyou again, yes it is The year of the Nurse!