Patricia K. Severt
Mount Carmel College of Nursing, USA
Title: Building Integrity into Nursing Curriculum and Culture
Biography
Biography: Patricia K. Severt
Abstract
Statement of the Problem: Academic dishonesty is on the rise nationwide due to technology advances. This creates a dilemma in nursing. In the nursing profession, integrity is not an option; it can often be a life or death situation. The purpose of this project is to reveal the issue of cheating among nursing students and determine ways to diminish its existence, maintain the integrity of the nursing profession and, ultimately, improve patient outcomes.
Methodology: A literature review of articles from 2004-2015 was conducted using Ebsco databases and keywords: academic dishonesty, academic misconduct, nursing students, plagiarism, and cheating. The focus was on the definition of academic dishonesty, students’ views, faculty views, and methods to decrease cheating.
Findings: Nursing is among the top most trusted professions, yet students are compelled to use dishonesty to achieve success. The mentality that promotes dishonesty in the academic arena continues into the professional arena. The definition of academic dishonesty varies among students and faculty and suggests that societal norms have shifted so that cheating in some forms is not seen as unethical.
Conclusion & Significance: The literature clearly demonstrates the parallel of dishonesty in nursing programs and declining integrity of nurses at the bedside. It is our ethical duty as educators to make ethical decision making opportunities fundamental in every aspect of our nursing programs. Building integrity into all nursing programs will safeguard the highest quality of nurse that society receives and that can be trusted with patient lives.
Recommendations: The literature suggested changes such as: ethical screening tools during the admission, institutional policy changes with stated consequences, administrator support of faculty at the front lines of the fraudulent behavior is imperative, and developing and utilizing student leaders as mentors can help model and develop integrity in other students.