What is the act of keeping information private or secret?

• A. Confidentiality
• B. Informed consent
• C. Privacy
• D. Disclosure

Answer: (A)

Confidentiality is the act of keeping information private or secret. In nursing ethics, it means the professional obligation to protect patient information learned during care and to share it only with those who are authorized or with the patient’s explicit consent. This principle fosters trust, allows patients to disclose sensitive details honestly, and upholds their dignity.

Privacy, on the other hand, refers to the patient’s right to control access to themselves and their personal information. Informed consent involves giving a patient information about a proposed intervention and obtaining their voluntary agreement before proceeding; it requires disclosure of relevant details but is about obtaining consent, not simply keeping information private. Disclosure is the act of sharing information with others, which is the opposite of confidentiality.

So the act of keeping information private aligns with confidentiality, making it the best fit for the question.