Nurses’ Professionalism in Question

Nurses’ professionalism questionable regarding response to Ebola! A name that strikes terror in the population! What are we to do about it? Do we, as a nation hide from it? Do we take extreme measures to keep it from our shores? This question was on everyone’s mind, I believe, when the Aids issue arose. Both diseases apparently originated in the same country. There have been other epidemic-proportions diseases in this country, all with very strong possibilities of death for those with the diseases and those coming in contact with them in intimate, and sometimes not so intimate, circumstances. The issue of Aids and its spread was related to personal behaviors and personal practices – Ebola not so much so. Contact seems to be the primary characteristic of behavior leading to spread of the disease. Near certain death for those contracting the disease seems to be their fate.

I am neither a medical expert nor a politician, but I am a citizen of the United States of America (USA), and I have a family and friends to be concerned about. Many of them travel all over the world and come in contact with other people in varied circumstances and environments. I say “yes!” keep it from our shores and minimize infectious contact to the degree possible – even though it may inflict great inconvenience on those who travel abroad. This is especially true of those who make a conscious choice to expose themselves to infectious situations. Though many of them are doing so in a very commendable way, they have no right to make that choice for others, and they alone should suffer the consequences of their actions. Each person as that travel through life should be free to make choices based on their own circumstances. If they have to endure quarantine as a result of their actions, they should be responsible enough to do so without complaint – they should especially not try to garner monetary benefits from lawsuits claiming discrimination or some other equally untrue and distasteful proclamation.

Outcome of irresponsible Behavior

The nurse now refusing to responsibly adhere to the quarantine requirements established by those attempting to control spread of Ebola casts dishonor on the nursing profession by her selfish acts. This irresponsible demonstration of self-interest will bring many to distrust the devotion of the nursing staffs to care for their patients. This is very unfair to the many who show up every day and devote themselves to responsible care of those in their charge. I volunteer in a major hospital each week and observe those nurses and doctors going about their professional duties in a very caring and professional way. These professionals should not have their devotion to duty called into question due to a few like the current one refusing to act responsibly.

Scientific Process in Ebola Problem Solution

I have worked many years as a systems engineer. I also have a degree in physics and math, and undergraduate and graduate degrees in business and management. As a systems engineer and physicist, and in compliance with the principles consistent with my overall background, I do have some understanding of the scientific process in finding a solution to a problem. The scientific process involves collecting data regarding the problem, analyzing the data, organizing the data and developing theories or postulations that the data supports. The theories are then tested against the data and the results are evaluated. Repeat the process until the most satisfactory solution to the problem is found.

Ebola Travel Ban Should be Implemented

In the current Ebola life and death decision situation, as described above, the worst-case situation should be understood and tested first – easing of restrictions can be done as information dictates. If a researcher is theorizing about explosives or some other lethal material, he or she first works with small amounts of the various materials and end-product. After the products are understood satisfactorily, the end-product is scaled upward to a useful product for the problem solution. This principle should be followed in decisions involving Ebola. A strict travel ban should be enacted against flights and other travel to and from the regions experiencing Ebola. Those health workers and others returning after exposure to the regions should be under strict quarantine, and violation should incur criminal penalties. Allowing individuals to “second guess” those having access to the greatest amount of information and having the most capable abilities to find solutions should not be tolerated.

Professionalism in Nursing