Confidentiality is an ethical principle that "requires not disclosing private or secret information about another person in your care (Burkhardt, 2014, p.76). When confidentiality becomes an issue between a patient and healthcare provider? This article will discuss the case of Tarasoff v. Regents of the University of California in 1976. This case was a turning point for the ethical duty to warn clause Tatiana Tarasoff The Murder Poddar had expressed his plan to kill the victim to Dr. Lawrence Moore was a psychologist who worked at Cowell Memorial Hospital, a part of the University of California at Berkley where both Poddar and Tarasoff were students Poddar had met Tarasoff “Beneficent acts are morally and legally required by the professional role” (Burkhardt, 2014, p.69). There are three moral codes associated with beneficence: doing good, preventing harm, or eliminating harm. The professional nurse's roles should promote these safety standards for patients and the public. Finally, this case is about nursing practice with mental health standards. In all aspects of nursing, patients with or without a history of mental health will come seeking care. For the professional nurse, it is the duty to identify and assist in helping that individual. This case could have been avoided by mandating a 72-hour psychiatric evaluation for Poddar. It wasn't, there was a lack of care that should have been received. Mental health screenings are important for nurses and other healthcare professionals. In conclusion, the case of Tarasoff v. Regents of the University of California has become the case of the “duty to warn” and the implementation of the harm principle when it comes to confidentiality. It is important for nurses and other healthcare professionals to understand this principle of harm and when to use it. Confidentiality is the basis of the nurse-patient relationship, however it is the task of professionals in this field to protect not only patients but also