Introduction
Ebola is an emerging rare, yet deadly disease brought about mainly by an infection caused by a strain of the Ebola virus. The recent Ebola epidemic is by far the worst in history, covering the largest geographical area especially in West Africa. It is easily spread since the infection occurs through direct contact with blood as well as body fluids of an already infected person. Ebola, however, is not spread through water, air, food or even mosquitoes. Health professionals are on the course of finding the cure as well as a vaccine to this deadly viral disease, but meanwhile, preventive measures are all there is to help contain the spread of the disease in countries affected including Nigeria. Isolation of already affected patients is the first measure taken, and immigration agencies have collaborated with health experts to engage serious screening of people entering and leaving the borders.
In Nigeria, there have been rare cases of Ebola. This is a worrying fact and Nurses as well as the medics are concerned about finding a means of avoiding the spread of the virus that will eventually lead to an epidemic in the country. Using Nightingale's Environmental theory, the program ought to be developed. This program is one that will aim at reducing the risk of Ebola becoming an epidemic in Nigeria.
Nightingale’s environmental theory
Nightingale's environmental theory is much concerned with restoring the normal health condition of a patient using environmental factors majorly. One important fact to note that nursing is always considered to be a calling, rather than being a career. With this fact in mind, it is anticipated that nurses should always be willing to go the extra mile; if not every mile to make sure that the patient is attended to. This also entails ensuring that the care is given in a safe environment. There exist several assumptions in the theory that focus on taking care of nurse's client’s environment so as to achieve health goals and consequently cure illness. These assumptions are:
- Natural laws
- Nursing is calling
- Mankind is capable of achieving perfection
- Nursing is achieved through environmental alteration
- Nursing is an art and a science
- Nursing is distinct and separate from medicine
- Nursing requires a specific educational base
Aside from the assumptions, nightingale's environmental theory has ten Canons. These major concepts of the environment are as follows:
- Ventilation and warning
- Cleanliness of the area
- Light and noise
- Health of houses
- Bed and bedding
- Variety
- Personal cleanliness
- Food
- Offering hope and advice
- Observation
Using these assumptions and canons, we can formulate an isolation program that will ensure that affected patients are well taken care of, and the larger uninfected population remains away from the risk of contracting this virus. In this model, the main focus of nursing is to custom make the patient's environment so as to affect change in the patient's health. The factors that directly affect health have been found to be fresh air, sufficient food supply, pure water, efficient drainage, light(direct sunlight), and cleanliness of the environment as well as that of the patient. Nurses are known to be key players in ensuring that these elements are met, hence ensuring that the patients’ needs are met. According to nightingale, nursing is completely separate from medicine. She says that the main objective of nursing is to put the patient aptly in the best environmental condition that will allow nature to act on the general health situation of the patient. Her observations led her to finding out that dirty or unsanitary environments contribute largely to bad health and that the environment can be aptly altered so as to help improve the conditions that will lead to a patient's healing.
Ebola prevention program
It is vital to note the fact that every environment can always be customized according to the disease being addressed. In the nursing community, the factors that are always considered can include the infection mode of the disease. The way an airborne disease will be contained would differ from a contact based infection. This is to say, by using this knowledge; a program can be developed to contain Ebola. The program being one that is aimed at reducing the risk of Ebola escalating to an epidemic status will have to be one that uses patient isolation as the base.
With the aid of the information obtained from the theory, the first step of the program is to screen all people exhibiting even the slightest of the Ebola symptoms. Once the people have been screened, the infected are immediately quarantined while the safe ones are left to go.
Once all Ebola patients have been identified and separated from the general population, they are to be placed in a customized environment and given maximum personal attention.
Since the focus of this model is patient oriented, optimal conditions for the Ebola patients should be created so as to allow the medication to take effect to the optimum so that the patient’s body gets healed. Hence, the program should ensure that patient’s quarantine areas should be without any form of disturbance.
In controlling the spread, the nurses handling the patients should also look out for themselves. Use of protective gear is vital in this program hence the researchers as well as the medical team handling the matter should be well equipped with hand gloves, shoe covers, masks, and even protective gown to reduce any chances of getting into contact with any fluids that might get them infected.
Patient hygiene is also a crucial factor to be considered since cleanliness of the environment the patients have been isolated in will play a part in ensuring that they don’t contract any other infection that may further weaken their immunity. This will also ensure that the nurses remain in good health. Patient nutrition is also a crucial factor in the program as it leads to the patient’s general healing process. Good ventilation is also a factor to be considered. This is not only for the isolation rooms but also for the general public. The general public should be made aware that keeping their houses ventilated is a key step to avoiding Ebola. Crowding in small rooms should be discouraged as this may lead to quick spread. When using public transport, passengers should also be reminded to keep the area well ventilated for smooth air circulation by ensuring the vehicle windows are open to a comfortable level. These are just some of the measure to be taken to ensure that the environment is made conducive.
For other measures, the program should include advising against touching animals such as apes and monkeys to reduce animal-human infections. Proper burial of the dead victims should also be a priority so as to ensure that the environment is made safer.
Government involvement will also be crucial especially in the immigration department as well as the Medical docket. The immigration will help with the business of screening human flow in and out of the borders while the health departments will work with the international bodies to ensure their smooth operation. This is because the locals understand their environment better and hence will provide the foreigners with crucial information regarding the trends as well as the dynamics of the locals, thereby making operations much easier. This will translate to a successful Ebola prevention program.
Conclusion
It is right to say that with the help of nightingale's environmental theory, as well as the dedicated involvement of all stakeholders, the Ebola prevention program can definitely succeed.
References
Barry Hewlett, B. H. (2007). Ebola, Culture and Politics: The Anthropology of an Emerging Disease. Stamford: Cengage Learning.
Draper, A. S. (2002). Ebola. New York: The Rosen Publishing Group.
McGee, P. (1998). Models of Nursing in Practice: A Pattern for Practical Care. Cheltenham: Nelson Thornes.
Selanders, L. C. (1993). Florence Nightingale: an environmental adaptation theory. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.
