A patient asks you to keep information secret
NMC OSCE practice station
Professional values · 1 min to read · 10 min to perform
A written station. Free to try, no sign-up.
The task
You are a registered nurse on a medical ward. Mrs Joanna Ferris, aged 52, is recovering from a chest infection. While you help her wash she tells you she has been saving up her pain tablets at home and says, 'You won't tell anyone, will you? Not my husband and not the doctors.' In the response sheet, write what you would do, explain why, and say what you would do afterwards.
What this station tests
- Never promise secrecy before you know what you are being told; confidentiality has limits when there is a risk of serious harm.
- Ask directly and kindly about thoughts of self-harm; asking does not make it worse.
- Tell the person who you will tell and why, and involve them where you can.
- Share the minimum necessary, with the right people, using a structured handover.
- Record the person's own words factually and look after your own wellbeing afterwards.
Sources for the clinical content
- NMC: The Code (sections on confidentiality and disclosure)
- NICE NG225: Self-harm: assessment, management and preventing recurrence
An original practice scenario with invented patients. Not an exam question.