Guiding Principle 7.3

Guiding Principle 7.3: Nurses uphold the self-determination rights of people before disclosing their confidential information.

Context for Practice: Nurses obtain informed consent for permission to disclose confidential information and, when doing so, disclose the minimum required and pertinent information necessary with the highest level of anonymity to achieve the desired purpose. Nurses act with integrity in reporting breaches of confidentiality and follow legislative requirements and regulatory standards for disclosing confidential information in instances of imminent risk.

Ethical Responsibilities: Nurses support the self-determination rights of people related to the disclosure of confidential information by
7.3.1 respecting the interests of clients in the lawful collection, use, access and disclosure of information in accordance with provincial/territorial legislation;
7.3.2 collecting, using and disclosing health information of clients on a need-to-know basis with the highest degree of anonymity possible in the circumstances and in accordance with provincial/territorial privacy legislation;
7.3.3 intervening in instances where others inappropriately disclose the health information of current or former clients by reporting breaches of confidentiality to the appropriate authorities (e.g., employer, privacy officer, regulatory body);
7.3.4 maintaining identifying information in the context of teaching, training, or supervisory purposes as confidential unless they obtain informed consent and there is a compelling need for disclosure of identifying information;
7.3.5 disclosing information with proper authorities or relevant parties with or without consent when a person is at risk of imminent harm, self-harm or has the intent to harm others, in accordance with professional standards, and as required by law or disciplinary body; and
7.3.6 limiting disclosure of confidential information to the minimum and relevant information required by legislation or regulatory body while minimizing any potential harm to clients, colleagues or others.