What is confidentiality?

• A. Criminal Action
• B. Defamation
• C. Confidentiality
• D. Depositions

Answer: (C)

Confidentiality is the obligation to protect a patient’s private information and to share it only with people who have a legitimate need to know, and with the patient’s consent or when disclosure is required or permitted by law. In nursing, maintaining confidentiality is fundamental because it helps build trust so patients feel safe sharing sensitive details about their health. This means safeguarding conversations, keeping records secure, and communicating only the minimum information necessary to provide care.

Think about everyday practice: talking about a patient’s condition in a public hallway breaks confidentiality; releasing records without proper authorization or consent is a breach; you only share information with someone involved in the patient’s care who has a need to know, and you verify identity and authorization before disclosing anything. There are exceptions, such as reporting abuse, certain public health or legal requirements, or when a patient (or their legally authorized representative) explicitly consents to release information.

Other terms listed describe different ideas. Criminal action is about legal charges someone might face; defamation involves false statements harming a person’s reputation; depositions are sworn testimonies used in legal proceedings. They do not capture the duty to protect private health information.