Rich and Butts (2013) have identified ethics as the efficient techniques of acknowledging and recommending proper and satisfactory which are applied through codes and conduct produced by professional body and religion. “Integrity is a moral virtue of the bedrock upon which good character is built” (The University of Texas, 2019). This basically means that integrity is intimately linked with ethics since it seeks to maintain awareness of adhering to discipline and honesty irrespective of the pressure mounted from people (Macintyre, 1981; Schenker, 2008). “Academic integrity is widely accepted as a proxy for student performance notably in relation to plagiarism and cheating” (MacFarlane et al 2012). Students are obliged to sign that they will adhere to academic rules prior to their enrolment. It is crucial to adhere to these policies throughout the academic journey for personal and professional development.
This applies to practice registered nurses are required to work according to professional codes of conduct that are agreed by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) (UNC Charlotte, 2019; NMC, 2019). The importance of academic integrity is to build professionalism and personal development in schools, safeguard everyone and to build a foundation for solving ethical questions that can emerge in the patient-provider relationship in clinical settings. (Hammer, 2000; Epstein and Tuner, 2015). Additionally, it motivates students to devote adequate effort to expectations. The knowledge they acquire in the classroom will establish the foundation of expertise in practice. The authors Crittenden et al (2009) and Carpenter et al (2004), have discovered that students who involved in academic dishonesty will falsify, cheat and commit fraud in the workplace.Honesty is the essence of academic integrity in the education curriculum. Students are introduced to different kinds of assignments and are expected to demonstrate sufficient knowledge base on their research.
Therefore, avoiding plagiarism is a successful method of recommending academic integrity since plagiarism can lead to unjust treatment among scholars, deceived, degraded, and jeopardised the standard of Universities. (Bachore, 2014). Plagiarism is the incompetence of representing another person’s work without adequate acknowledgment and citation (Smith, 2016b; Souza, 2016,). Students are prohibited from copying and stealing someone’s work. However, they are expected to consistently cite the source of their work and submit them through a tool known as Turnitin that can detect similarities. This method approved the effective intellect in their work to achieve a competent grade that is required for professional development. The effect of this phenomenon is disciplinary actions such as poor grades in work and expelling students from the school. The important is to establish a fundamental proficiency among students as well as developing professionals who can work collectively and adequately in the classroom and clinical setting (McClung and Schneider, 2018; Carter et al, 2019).Respect and dignity expected pre-registered nursing students to respect and protect each other right to private life and to ensure appropriate behaviour to all. Students should accept each other ideals, maintain suitable language and provide positive feedback of others since it is a key to good student relationships and aspiration in academic performance. (Shuldham, 2019).
Confidentiality argues that individual details are handled and shared appropriately with their consent. (Brenna, 2010). Students should in no circumstances disclose other student’s personal life they are aware of they must keep it confidential. Demonstrating confidentiality promotes privacy, security, trust and personal relationships among students.Empathy describes the usefulness and rationales that go beyond “what do they think? to why do they think that” (Hoerr, 2017). Students are thought and expected to listen, accept and share each other feelings with different perceptive. Demonstrating empathy helps students to identify one another needs, provide support to each other, builds trust, improved self-concept and reduction of anxiety and depression and promote classroom culture (Libba, 2018).“Communication is the transmission of a message to one another through speech and other alternative techniques” (Kourkouka and Ioanna, 2014). Students are expected to demonstrate effective communication skills in the classroom via active listening, maintaining eye contact, taking notes during teaching and avoiding disruption.
They are given the opportunity to ask questions on the area they did not understand for clarification and provide feedback as well. Effective communication will promote student’s confidence, enhances and modifies individual value and experience. “Professionalism consists of noble characteristics that individuals maintain towards their occupation” (Boyt et al.,2001). An individual should always demonstrate professionalism notwithstanding their type of job, position, and functions in the workplace. People with integrity do not embezzle the company’s fund nor misuse individual information. Academic integrity is the basic need of any profession because it promotes job satisfaction, success and the achievement of the organisation as schedule (Career and Education, 2019; National Centre for Education Statistics, 2010). Though,
Academic dishonesty prevents students from the opportunity to acquire efficient knowledge that is required to enhance and procure a degree that indicates their intellectual achievement (Kibler,2015). Furthermore, scholars who scare the educational program through cheating offer a deceitful impression to a future employer and have insufficient morals, obligations, and responsibility. Therefore, they lack ethical principles as professionals (Carpenter et al, 2004). The authors Crittenden et al. (2009) discovered that students who involved in academic dishonesty will falsify, cheat and commit fraud in the workplace.Florence Nightingale described nursing as a mission embedded in the promotion of individual physical, mental health, and well-being, prevention of diseases and illness through acquired evidenced-based knowledge (LaSala, 2009).
Nightingale explained the importance of ethical principles of honesty, consistency, accountability and respect and dignity in practice in nursing. The importance of academic integrity on the impact of professionalism in nursing practice is to establish continual safety and adequate person-centered result for the exceptional condition of individual health and well-being (NMC, 2018). The purpose of NMC codes of conduct is to prioritise people, practice effectively, preserve the safety and promote professionalism and trust” (NMC, 2018). Registered nurses should inspire themselves as a role modelPre-registered nurses should inspire themselves as role models by demonstrating professional practice and behaviour that is outlined with the NMC code such as practice effectively and promote the dignity and respect of the patients and families that are positioned in their care. Furthermore, be able to understand and share the feelings and experiences of the patients through a person-centered approach, problem-solving, evidence-based practice and able to challenge poor practice. This will build an effective therapeutic relationship in clinical settings, promotes trust and positive outcomes of treatment. (NMC, 2018; Libba, 2018).
In addition, use effective communication skills to explain every step that is involved in their care before commencing any treatment, promote confidentiality in practice and work in accordance with the organisation policies and procedures. This will reduce errors that can occur during the period of treatment, promote the patient’s safety and positive outcome in treatment. Finally, Pre-registered nurses should be accountable for their actions, accept their mistakes and provide an apology to the patients and families when errors occur not to put the blame on patients or fellow colleagues. In addition, ensure every possible measure to minimise such errors from reoccurring (NMC, 2018).The professional regulation standard of practice for pre-registration programmes is an approach that enhances professionalism since it is established to promote the perseverance and competence of safe practice in nursing. “All qualified registered nurses are expected to use their opportunities through revalidation via existing supervision and appraisal systems” (NMC, 2019).
“The process of revalidation involves meeting the 450 hours, continuing in professional development (CPD), practicing according to related feedback, regular focus on reflective practice, meeting up health characteristics required and providing professional indemnity arrangement and confirmation” (NMC,2019). This should be done every 3 years to provide evidence of continuing in fit to practice.In conclusion, pre-registered nursing students should endeavor to promote ethical principles and academic integrity throughout their academic journey as this will help them to achieve a competent qualification, advance in professionalism and will be able to practice effectively when they qualify.