Sensitive Situations in a Nurse Residency Program: Balancing Confidentiality With Meaningful Solutions

Nurse residency programs are designed to be a safe, supportive learning environment for newly licensed nurses. Topics such as horizontal violence, ethical dilemmas, and patient safety are often addressed throughout the course of the program. Confidentiality is key to maintaining trust in these discussions, but what do we do when confidentiality feels wrong or sometimes unethical? After being faced with this question, a "sensitive situations" algorithm was designed to guide others through the same challenges. This tool provides a framework for nursing professional development practitioners to strategically and consistently approach these sensitive situations.