Self-Reflection: Academic Dishonesty in Nursing

Through reading two journal articles on academic dishonesty in nursing there is an obvious gap in perception of what exactly constitutes academic dishonesty. The first article deals with the perception of faculty while the second examines the perception of students, specifically generation y students. Much of this discrepancy can be attributed to the generational differences and subsequent expectations of the older versus younger generations. Personally, reading these articles has helped me evaluate an objective stance on the topic of academic dishonesty in nursing.

Beginning with Nursing Faculty Experiences of Students’ Academic Dishonesty it is troubling to see how nursing educators are put in a tight spot when it comes to following their own personal integrity versus the consequences of their careers and relationships. The main theme I took from this article is the danger of compounding lies with more lies. In the scenario of exposing academic dishonesty such as plagiarism, the faculty has to deal with personal struggle on whether or not to expose the cheating and academic dishonesty. The consequences, sadly, are severe.

On one end, there is a danger of violating good professional character should a faculty member decide not to expose the academic dishonesty. What is seen throughout this article in the analysis of a study by Fontana, compiled of over 20 nurses, is an internal tear between their profession and their fears about breaching social, political and academic expectations:

The personal and professional risks and damage to relationships were viewed as reasons not to confront and report students for academic dishonesty. However, all of the participants believed their sense of responsibility to the nursing profession and to patients wasthe basis for their decision to address the risks and damage and overshadowed their concern for self. (p. 184)

I believe what is seen here is an overwhelmingly high respect and priority for the greater good. There is a very high appreciation on the nursing educator’s part for the protection and preservation of the profession of nursing. This article, in particular, inspired me to always have a high degree of morality and ethical behavior in my future career.

Moving on to A Pilot Study of Nursing Student’s Perception of Academic Dishonesty: A Generation Y Perspective, there is a shift in viewpoint on the topic of academic dishonesty. The overall theme that I took away from this article is that it is crucial for me to bridge the gap between students (me) and faculty. “The differences that may arise between what students perceive as cheating and what faculty members perceive as cheating may contribute to differing notions and norms of behavior” (Arhin, 2009, p. 18). Although much of the varying perceptions surrounding academic dishonesty appear to be due to generational differences, understanding those differences and having a clear set of expectations to work from would help immensely in my own estimation of my actions to avoid academic dishonesty.

Further, I believe this gap is due to the availability of technology and how the different generations use technology. There is an obvious mindset difference in play here. For my own future actions regarding my professional career in both school and work and my pursuit of good professional character, the first step is communication and developing a clear understanding of what faculty considers academically dishonest. The second step is making sure that the ease of technology is not abused and used as a tool to perpetuate the already rampant problem of academic dishonesty. Rather, I can make sure I use these resources to further my knowledge and continue to produce honest and original work.

References

Arhin, A. O. (2009). A pilot study of nursing student's perceptions of academic dishonesty: A generation y perspective. ABNF Journal,20(1), 17-21. Retrieved from http://www.tuckerpub.com/

Fontana, J. S. (2009). Nursing faculty experiences of students' academic dishonesty. Journal of Nursing Education, 48(4), 181-185. Retrieved from http://www.slackinc.com/