Community Health Nursing Practice Exam

The assertion that nurses can reveal personal health information to public health authorities is grounded in the necessity of protecting community health through effective monitoring and management of communicable diseases. When public health authorities are informed of specific health information, it serves the broader interest of community safety, enabling them to take appropriate actions to prevent outbreaks and manage potential public health risks.

This situation often falls under legal provisions that allow the sharing of specific health-related data for the purpose of disease surveillance and epidemiology. However, even in these cases, personal identifiers are typically removed to maintain individual privacy whenever possible.

Other statements do not accurately reflect the principles of confidentiality in healthcare. For instance, while informing contacts about communicable disease exposures is important, it must be done carefully to avoid violating confidentiality, which is not explicitly stated in option B. Reporting cases to the media is generally contrary to confidentiality principles, making option C inaccurate. Moreover, confidentiality extends beyond just the index case; all individuals' identities involved in a communicable disease case must be protected, nullifying the statement in option D.