” In caring I commit myself to the other; I hold myself out as someone who can be depended on. If there is an acute break in this relation because of my indifference, irresponsibility or neglect of my duties, I feel guilty, as if the other were to say,”Where were you when I needed you,why did you let me down?” Milton Mayeroff, author of book entitled On Caring, 1971.
The disaster at Fort Hood again shows the inability for some people to see a problem, confront it and take responsibility for constructive action. Envision for a moment you and your colleagues sitting around the conference table at Walter Reed Army hospital discussing and reviewing an employee who has been demonstrating bizarre behavioral problems. Someone brings up the point that the Dr. X, who is in training to be psychiatrist, is unable to communicate and connect effectively with patients who are suffering from anxiety and PTSD. Another colleague brings up the fact that Dr. X is a practicing Muslim who has been sharing his anti-war and extreme Islamic views during a recent Grand Rounds presentation. Somebody else speculates on his mental stability and his ability to be in touch with reality (psychosis). It is a tragic observation and apparent that nobody in the room wants to deal with these inconvertible truths of instability, acting out and irrational thinking of Dr. X. The question becomes what are we going to do with him? Continue reading ‘Caring and Responsibility Check: Case of Maj. Nidal Malik– Leadership Failure at Walter Reed Army Hospital’