Which action best illustrates fidelity in nursing practice?

• A. Following through on a scheduled medication administration time and maintaining confidentiality.
• B. Sharing a patient’s information with a colleague without consent.
• C. Ignoring a patient’s request for privacy.
• D. Taking a longer break during a shift.

Answer: (A)

Fidelity in nursing practice means being loyal to your commitments to patients—keeping promises, following through on care, and protecting patient confidentiality. Following through on a scheduled medication time shows you’re reliable and devoted to patient safety, ensuring the patient receives the right treatment promptly, which builds trust in the nurse–patient relationship. Maintaining confidentiality reinforces that trust by safeguarding the patient’s private information from unauthorized disclosure. Together, these behaviors demonstrate staying true to professional obligations to the patient.

The other actions miss the mark: sharing a patient’s information without consent breaches confidentiality and trust; ignoring a patient’s request for privacy disrespects the patient’s autonomy and right to privacy; taking a longer break can disrupt care but does not exemplify fidelity to the patient’s ongoing needs and commitments.