NR 395 Week 3 Discussion Topic: Quality Improvement Education
Do you believe there is a culture of academic integrity in your nursing program? What
... [Show More] evidence do you have that supports this notion, or disputes it? How can you promote academic integrity within yourself, and your classmates?
ANSWER
There is an air of academic integrity incorporated in our nursing program. I’ve been in this program for over a year now and throughout this year, I have seen multiple revisions to the Turnitin program as well as the implementation of the LockDown browser that is required to be accessed at the beginning of each course. Huston mention “Cheating is a concern in any academic discipline. It is of particular concern to nursing educators because nurses hold the well-being and health of their patients in their hands. Lapses of integrity can have grave consequences for patients” (Huston, pg. 267). Since cheating is an issue in any major’s journey, it becomes rather important when there is a patient involved. The two systems that were mentioned in this post were enacted to reduce the risk of plagiarism in these online nursing courses and the repercussions of cheating have become more stringent.
During my sessions in this nursing course, there have been times where I have considered asking for help from colleges who went through this online course due to time restraints and stress with work, however, I’ve learned that I feel more of a reward when I complete the tasks myself and receive my grade. According to the American University at Washington D.C., “Academic integrity essentially means "intellectual honesty": honesty in the use of information, in formulating arguments, and in other activities related to the pursuit of knowledge and understanding” (American, 2019). I have found that through my experiences through these courses, the joy I get from a grade that I worked for and put time into makes me want to continue this way. During my Associates Degree, I was a receiving A’s and B’s in the general education courses but C’s in the nursing courses. Those two years and twenty courses were especially difficult, and by taking one course at a time here, I have made it my goal to continue with my academic honesty and strive for the good grades that I have wanted throughout my education. The reward of honestly doing the work and getting the good grade is way better than the risk of losing it due to cheating.
-Karina
References:
Huston, C.J. (2017). Professional nursing: Challenges and opportunities (4th ed). Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer
American University at Washington D.C. (2019). Academic Integrity. Retrieved from https://www.american.edu/academics/integrity/ [Show Less]