Confidentiality for students
Confidentiality Agreement
Upon registering for the semester, you must confirm your understanding of the obligation to maintain confidentiality during your practical training and clinical education, as well as your awareness of what this entails. This obligation to confidentiality also extends to written assignments.
By registering for the semester and approving your educational plan in Studentweb, you are affirming your commitment to adhere to confidentiality guidelines.
Be mindful of what you share both verbally and in writing, whether in person or online. It's important to recognize that the confidentiality obligation also applies to sharing images. Posting or sharing pictures on social media of patients, clients, or users you’ve interacted with during your practical training may violate confidentiality.
Furthermore, please be aware that this obligation to confidentiality also applies during practical training as part of exchange programs abroad.
Lovene som omhandler taushetsplikt
Universities and University Colleges Act
§12-7 .Students’ duty of confidentiality
A student who, in the course of their studies, becomes aware of another person’s personal affairs shall be bound by a duty of confidentiality in accordance with the professional rules applicable to the relevant field. Universities and university colleges shall prepare a declaration of confidentiality to be signed by the relevant students.
Students who have committed gross breaches of the duty of confidentiality may be excluded and deprived of the right to sit for examinations pursuant to section 12-6.
§ 12-6. Grossly unacceptable conduct
A student who has acted in a grossly unacceptable manner in relation to patients, users, kindergarten children, pupils or others with whom the student interacts as part of clinical teaching or supervised professional training may be excluded and deprived of the right to sit for examinations for up to three years in studies involving clinical teaching or supervised professional training. For the purposes of this Act, ‘grossly unacceptable conduct’ means that the student has
a. acted in such a manner as to endanger life or health;
b. committed gross breaches of the duty of confidentiality;
c. acted in an obscene manner.
Decisions on exclusions and loss of the right to sit for examinations shall be made by a two-thirds majority of the board or the institution’s appeals committee for academic affairs, cf. section 14-1.
If a student is excluded from a study that may result in the right to authorisation pursuant to section 48, first paragraph of the Health Personnel Act, the institution shall inform the Norwegian Directorate of Health of the decision pursuant to this section.
Public Administration Act
§ 13. Duty of secrecy
It is the duty of any person rendering services to, or working for, an administrative agency, to prevent others from gaining access to, or obtaining knowledge of, any matter disclosed to him in the course of his duties concerning:
- an individual's personal affairs, or
- technical devices and procedures, as well as operational or business matters which for competition reasons it is important to keep secret in the interests of the person whom the information concerns.
The term «personal affairs» shall not include place of birth, date of birth, national registration number, nationality, marital status, occupation or place of residence or employment, unless such information discloses a client relationship or other matters that must be considered personal. Moreover, the King may prescribe further regulations concerning what kind of information is to be considered personal, which agencies may give private individuals such information as stated in the preceding sentence and other information concerning an individual's personal status, as well as prescribing the terms and conditions for providing such information.
The duty of secrecy shall continue to apply after the person concerned has terminated his service or work. Nor may he exploit such information as is mentioned in this section in his own business activities or in service or work for others.
§ 13 e. (Researchers' duty of secrecy)
It is the duty of any person who performs any service or work in connection with a research assignment which an administrative agency has supported, approved, or to which it has provided information subject to a duty of secrecy, to prevent others from gaining access to or knowledge of:
- information subject to a duty of secrecy which the researcher obtains from an administrative agency,
- information received from private sources upon pledge of secrecy in connection with the research, and
- information concerning persons who are dependent upon the body (school, hospital, institution, enterprise, public authority etc.) which has arranged for their contact with the researcher.
The information may only be used for purposes necessary for the research itself and in accordance with such terms and conditions as may be laid down pursuant to section 13 d, second paragraph. If the results of the research are to be published or used in any other way, section 13 a, items 1 and 2, shall apply correspondingly.
Breach of the duty of secrecy or of terms and conditions pursuant to section 13 d, second paragraph, is punishable pursuant to section 209 of the Penal Code. The Ministry or administrative agency concerned shall apprise the researcher and his staff of the duty of secrecy and of the penal provision, cf. also section 13 c, first paragraph.
Helsepersonelloven (Health Personell Act)
The Health Personell Act is only available in Norwegian.
Helsepersonell er personell med autorisasjon eller lisens, personell i helsetjenesten eller i apotek som yter helsehjelp, elever og studenter som yter helsehjelp, jf. § 3.
Helsepersonell skal hindre at andre får adgang eller kjennskap til opplysninger om folks legems- eller sykdomsforhold eller andre personlige forhold som de får vite om i egenskap av å være helsepersonell, jf. § 21
Samarbeidende personell og personer som bistår med elektronisk bearbeiding av taushetsbelagte opplysninger har samme taushetsplikt som helsepersonell, jf. § 25.
Taushetsplikten gjelder tilsvarende for personell i pasientadministrasjon, jf. § 26.
Helse- og omsorgstjenesteloven (Health and Care Services Act)
The Health and Care Services Act is only available in Norwegian.
§ 12-1. Taushetsplikt
Enhver som utfører tjeneste eller arbeid etter denne loven, har taushetsplikt etter forvaltningsloven §§ 13 til 13 e og 13 g. Overtredelse straffes etter straffeloven § 209.
Taushetsplikten gjelder også fødested, fødselsdato, personnummer, statsborgerforhold, sivilstand, yrke, bopel og arbeidssted. Opplysning om oppholdssted kan likevel gis når det er klart at det ikke vil skade tilliten til helse- og omsorgstjenesten å gi slik opplysning.
Dersom et barns interesser tilsier det, kan statsforvalteren eller departementet bestemme at opplysninger skal være undergitt taushetsplikt selv om foreldrene har samtykket i at de gjøres kjent.
Spesialisthelsetjenesteloven (Specialized Health Care Services Act)
The Specialized Health Care Services Act is only available in Norwegian.
§ 6-1. Taushetsplikt
Enhver som utfører tjeneste eller arbeid for en helseinstitusjon som omfattes av denne loven, har taushetsplikt etter forvaltningsloven §§ 13 til 13 e og 13 g.
Taushetsplikten gjelder også pasientens fødested, fødselsdato, personnummer, statsborgerforhold, sivilstand, yrke, bopel og arbeidssted. Opplysning om en pasients oppholdssted kan likevel gis når det er klart at det ikke vil skade tilliten til helseinstitusjonen. Opplysning om en pasients navn, transportbehov og om pasienten skal betale egenandel og eventuelt beløpet kan gis til transportør i forbindelse med transport etter § 2-1a første ledd nr. 6.
The Penal Code
§ 209. Breach of a duty of confidentiality
A penalty of a fine or imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year shall be applied to any person who reveals information in respect of which he/she has a duty of confidentiality pursuant to statute or regulations, or exploits such information with intent to obtain an illicit gain for himself/herself or for other persons.
The first paragraph applies correspondingly to breach of a duty of confidentiality pursuant to applicable instructions for service or work for a central or local government body.
In the case of a person working or performing a service for a central or local government body, the first and second paragraphs also apply to breach of the duty of confidentiality after conclusion of such service or work.
The same penalty applies for a grossly negligent violation.
Contribution is not penalised.
§ 210. Aggravated breach of a duty of confidentiality
The penalty for aggravated breach of a duty of confidentiality is imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years.
In determining whether the breach of confidentiality is aggravated, particular weight shall be given to whether the perpetrator has intended to make an illicit gain and whether the act has resulted in loss or a risk of loss to any person.
§ 211. Breach of a duty of confidentiality for certain professions
A penalty of a fine or imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year shall be applied to any clergy of the Church of Norway, priests or leaders in registered faith communities, lawyers, defence counsel in criminal proceedings, mediators in marital cases and their assistants who illicitly reveal secrets confided to them or their superiors in connection with their position or assignment.