A Good Nurse is a Good Example

The national discussion about Idaho Senator Larry Craig's situation has many folks on all sides of the political spectrum questioning themselves. On the Right, we have folks saying he should resign because he's gay; on the Left, we have folks saying it's okay that he's gay, he should resign because he broke the law; a fact, they point out, to which he admitted.

In between are people of various political shades who question Craig's (1) previous statements concerning issues of gay rights; (2) vitriolic condemnation of President Bill Clinton's sexual daliance with Monica Lewinski; (3) judgement as a lawyer pleading guilty to something he now says he didn't do (a plea that was apparently not forced upon him); (4) recent behavior in a public bathroom; (5) well-founded reports of previous like-behavior, etc.

Here is what it comes down to for me: Personality and actions that represent the ideal of what a person believes others should see in him/her. Nowhere is this more important than in positions of power and especially in positions of public service. Sen. Craig should know this, but the fact that he doesn't appear to should be reason enough for others to ask him to step-down as a leader and public servant.

I do not care if Craig's behavior was moral or not; I do not care if he is gay or not. I do care that he doesn't have enough sense as a politically powerful man to attempt to be an example of a law-abiding citizen. People should question this. People should expect their leaders to obey laws they create and enact. People should expect their leaders to be...good.

And nurses should pay heed. A good nurse is one who presents to his/her patients an example of health in body and mind. Obesity, cigarette smoking, lack of hygiene, etc. are examples of poor health habits, and yet these are behaviors and conditions prevalent among the nursing population.

Obesity, smoking, and poor hygiene do not inhibit nurses from performing nursing skills or education or research. These behaviors and conditions may, however, create a sense of doubt in patients' minds about how good their nurse really is. What is the old adage: "Doctor, heal thyself!"

Nurses are leaders and public servants in the health industry. They should look like healthy people, act like healthy people, and represent healthy lifestyles.

And they shouldn't be having sex in public bathrooms! YUCK!


P.S. It is funny that the word daliance means "a brief affair..." and the word dalliance means "wasting time while one should be working...".