Chapter 18 Academic Integrity in Nursing Education: Is it Declining?

Cheating/Academic Dishonesty

Has been with us since the inception of higher education

It is estimated that 64% of high school students admit to cheating

58% admitted to plagiarism

95% admitted to some form of the above cheating measures

New forms of Cheating

Cell phones

Looking up answers on the Web

Texting a friend

Taking photos of tests and posting online

Buying tests and papers online

Hiring someone to take an online test

Many students didn’t believe using cell phones was a serious offense

Cheating in Nursing Education

Gallop polls found between 79% and 85% of respondents viewed the honesty and ethical standards of nurses as high to very high; yet the data do not support such claims

Studies by Hilbert; Bailey; Gaberson; Sheer; McCrink; McCabe; Krueger; Beasley; Stonecypher and Willson; and Woith, Jenkins, and Kerber (1985–2014) documented academic dishonesty among nursing students

Prevalence of the Problem in Nursing

McCrink (2010) studied nursing students in two associate degree programs and found a mean score of 21.58 for frequency of self-reported misconduct.

Krueger (2014) found that 216 of 334 participants admitted to engaging in some form of academic dishonesty in the classroom and 181 of 335 in the clinical setting.

British Journal of Nursing: Glasper (2016) reported that 1700 nursing students out of 64,000 over a 3-year period had been found guilty of cheating

Question #1

Is the following statement true or false?

Cheating is actually a small issue in academia.

Answer to Question #1

False

Studies indicate that cheating has been with us since the inception of higher education, and it is estimated that 64% of high school students admit to cheating, 58% admitted to plagiarism, and 95% admitted to some form of the above cheating measures.

Why Do Students Cheat? #1

Running out of time needed to complete an assignment correctly or to study for an exam adequately is the most common reason.

Other reasons include

Not fully understanding the material or assignment at hand

Sloppy note-taking leading to plagiarism

Competitive pressures

Time constraints

Why Do Students Cheat? #2

Working more than forty hours

Institutional apathy

Lack of respect for the collegiate institution

Self-interest

Culture of cheating

Calculative decision making process vs. ethical one

(see Box 18.2)

Student Attitudes Regarding Academic Dishonesty #1

Disagreement among nursing students as to what constitutes academic dishonesty, and even more disagreement as to the seriousness of the conduct described

Most students in McCrink’s study agreed that reporting vital signs that aren’t taken is highly or severely unethical

Similarly, falsely reporting medication administration, recording responses to treatment that weren’t observed

Student Attitudes Regarding Academic Dishonesty #2

Failure to report an error or incident that involved a client/patient and coming to the clinical setting under the influence of alcohol or drugs were all viewed as highly unethical or severely unethical by these same students.

Yet, these same students felt that working with another student when it wasn’t allowed or obtaining answers from another student wasn’t unethical.

Question #2

What are the main reasons students engage in cheating?

Answer to Question #2

Running out of the time needed to complete an assignment correctly or to study for an exam adequately is the most common reason. Additionally, not fully understanding the material or assignment at hand, sloppy note-taking leading to plagiarism, competitive pressures, time constraints, and working more than forty hours were also reported.

Fertile Ground for Cheating?

Nursing schools may be a breeding ground for academic dishonesty, despite students’ generally wide acceptance of trust, honesty, and fairness being essential to the foundation of practice.

McCabe (2009): nursing students are exposed to the same influences as students in other disciplines; opportunities to cheat have increased with electronic technology but there is little evidence the actual number of students cheating has increased.

What Should the Consequences be for Cheating?

Academic dishonesty must be immediately confronted and addressed so that a culture of cheating is not allowed to exist, much less condoned, since it breeds a culture of dishonesty.

Should we use expulsion?

Should we be apathetic?

Should we find an appropriate balance?

Should we be reactive or proactive? (see Box 18.3)

Fostering Academic Integrity #1

We must establish a culture of ethical behavior and trustworthiness in nursing programs; however, it must be a joint endeavor between faculty and students.

Without “buy in,” it is to no avail: Study by Robinson and Glanzer analyzing students perceptions of academic integrity in general and at their institution

Socialize student nurses into a culture of caring, trustworthiness, and accountability

Role model ethical behavior and integrity

Help students manage their time better

Fostering Academic Integrity #2

Provide clear guidelines and expectations for ethical behavior

Help students fully understand what constitutes cheating

Revisit the parameters and expectations of ethical conduct frequently

Increase faculty supervision in the classroom and online

Use test security or plagiarism assessment tools

Foster self-discipline

Implement honor codes

Provide mentoring and support

Question #3

Is the following statement true or false?

Fostering self-confidence can hinder a student’s desire to cheat.

Answer to Question #3

True

As someone increases his or her confidence in him or herself, the need for cheating decreases.

Using Professional Standards as a Guide for Ethical Behavior

Faculty play a central role in helping students incorporate such exemplars as the ANA Code of Ethics into their interactions with students

Observation of Robinson and Glanzer states that students largely situate responsibility for academic integrity on their teachers and administers rather than on student peers

Ethical conduct and its role in establishing trustworthiness and a caring, therapeutic relationship must be central focus of students

End of Presentation

Chapter 18 Academic Integrity in Nursing Education: Is it Declining?

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