I have an ethical question in mind, and it doesn't leave me so I will spit it out here. A few years ago my wife was almost completely paralysed and we had nurses visiting us several times a day. These nurses (male and female) were working for a huge health-care Organisation and they were silent effici?nt people who came in, worked like machines, behaved rather dominantly, and left us with an uneasy feeling that was definitely not increasing health or supporting the medical treatment. There was one clear exception though, Henrietta, a gentle, smiling, honest young woman, who not only did a high amount of work but who also chattered, laughed, listened, took us seriously and gave us a warm and happy feeling.

It felt like an angel was coming along when she visited us and after awhile my wife and I were looking forward to her visits, and I still feel she's the only nurse whose assistance has made a real contribution to my wife's recovery. The paralysis eventually past and the situation gradually returned to normal, and the visits from the nurses diminished and after some time were stopping all together.

About two weeks ago we had a call from Henrietta. She had resigned from the Organisation, that seems to have become a place where Big Brother reigns and where all human feelings are banished and leading to conflict and sanction. She announced that she would be working independently from now on, in association with a colleague who had left the Organization for the same reasons. They had founded their own little firm called "Nursing with a Heart", thus using their particular talent for their business, making it their "competitive advantage", if that expression is used correctly here. My wife can use a nurse again and today Henrietta came along and she was just as helpful and wonderful as before.

But here's my ethical question: should "the heart" ever be commercialised, particularly when it's really present like with Henrietta and not just an empty slogan? Isn't this some sort of abuse of what's the most precious side of human nature? And will Henrietta be able to keep up the "good work" forever? What if she has a bad day and the "heart" isn't really there, and she has to feign its presence to keep her part of the bargain? What if she changes over time and it does indeed become an empty slogan, and the value of the "heart" is compromised again? Henrietta is a strong gal, physically as well as mentally, but nursing is a tough job and not all her patients are people who appreciate the "heart". Well, the question is there (I hope). Any comments?

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