Cases for DISCUSS Due Feb 19 by 1:59am Points 10 CASE 1 The nurses in a critical care unit had been under a great deal of stress from very ill patients, a high census, and frequent staff illnesses during a 2-week period. On one particular evening, two nurses recognized that they were developing the symptoms of an upper respiratory infection that had been affecting other members of the staff. Because they had three post-op patients needing one-on-one care and were receiving another admission from the emergency room, the nurses solicited medication from the house staff in order to suppress their symptoms and "keep going." Although they were able to remain working on the unit and not contribute to an already critical staffing situation, they recognized that they might be causing harm by communicating their illnesses to already vulnerable patients and by risking making mistakes while under the influence of medications (antihistamines). The two nurses contemplated the alternatives. They were convince that the additional risk to the patients was quite small, and they believed that the patients were in real need of the one- one care that could only be provided if they remained on duty. They concluded that, on balance, the good they could do exceeded the risk of harm, but they A wondered: Is there a special obligation for health professionals to avoid harm? CASE 2