Keeping secrets: the ethical and legal challenges

Blatant examples of breeches of confidentiality are less common in comparison to the daily indiscretions that occur by members of the health care team or support staff. Yet such breeches of confidentiality are rarely identified as ethical or legal problems and therefore remain unaddressed. To uphold their moral and legal obligation to protect private information, nurses must examine the nature of their obligations and devise strategies to create and maintain a culture that holds health care professionals accountable for their actions.