Confidential student information in nursing education

Nurse educators frequently know intriguing personal information about students and must decide whether to share such information with colleagues. While sharing with colleagues is sometimes necessary, often it is not. Discussing stories about students may be an effective stress-relieving strategy for faculty, but stress reduction must not be achieved at the expense of ethical behavior. The author explores the fine line between gossip and collegial discourse that focuses on educational goals, considers whether a separate code of ethics for nurse educators is needed, and offers recommendations for action.