Final answer:
If a coworker shares the neighbor's client information with the nurse without proper authorization, they would be committing an invasion of privacy, as it violates healthcare privacy laws like HIPAA.
Step-by-step explanation:
If a coworker shares the neighbor's client information with the nurse without a valid reason, the coworker could be held liable for committing an invasion of privacy. This act would constitute a breach of patient confidentiality and could be a violation of healthcare privacy laws, such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) in the United States. HIPAA laws protect a patient's personal health information and only allow disclosure under specific circumstances; curiosity or personal acquaintance does not qualify. Therefore, sharing such information without the patient's consent or a legitimate need to know for patient care would be unethical and illegal.
In contrast, negligence refers to a failure to exercise the care that a reasonably prudent person would exercise in like circumstances, and assault is a threat or use of force on another that causes that person to have a reasonable apprehension of imminent harmful or offensive contact. Defamation of character occurs when someone makes a false statement about another person that causes harm to that person's reputation. In the context of the question, the most applicable answer is invasion of privacy.