Which term describes the obligation to keep patient information private?

• A. Confidentiality
• B. Fidelity
• C. Veracity
• D. Nonmaleficence

Answer: (A)

Confidentiality is the obligation to keep patient information private. In nursing practice, this means protecting personal health details from unauthorized disclosure and sharing information only with those who need to know to provide care, or with the patient’s consent, unless there’s a legal or safety reason to disclose. Maintaining confidentiality builds trust and supports the patient’s dignity and rights, and breaches can erode trust and cause harm. While other ethical principles address different duties—fidelity is about keeping promises or being loyal, veracity is about truth-telling, and nonmaleficence is about avoiding harm—the term that specifically describes keeping information private is confidentiality. In real-world practice, there are exceptions for mandatory reporting or protecting someone from imminent harm, but these are limited situations that do not define the obligation itself.