How should a nurse appropriately respond to a co-worker inquiring about a friend's medical condition?

The appropriate response to a co-worker asking about a friend's medical condition is to politely decline to discuss that friend's health information. This response aligns with the principles of confidentiality and patient privacy, which are critical in healthcare settings.

Healthcare professionals are bound by ethical standards, such as those outlined by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) in the U.S., which protect patients' sensitive information from being disclosed without their explicit consent. Sharing health information, even informally among co-workers, can breach confidentiality and violate trust.

Declining to discuss the friend's medical condition ensures that the nurse respects both the friend's privacy and the legal obligations surrounding patient information. By doing so, the nurse upholds the integrity of the profession and models appropriate behavior concerning the handling of private health data.

In contrast, providing a summary of the friend's health status, suggesting that the co-worker contact the healthcare provider directly, or answering quietly in public would not adequately protect the friend's privacy and could potentially lead to unauthorized disclosure of confidential information.