A nurse is attending a community health fair and is approached by a former patient who asks for specific details about another patient they both know, who recently underwent a highly publicized surgery. The former patient assures the nurse they won’t share the information with anyone else. What is the nurse’s immediate ethical responsibility in this situation?

Provide general information without specifics
Inform the former patient that they cannot disclose any patient information due to privacy regulations and ethical codes.
Verify if the patient has given consent for information sharing.
Refer the former patient to the hospital's public relations department.

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