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Nursing Academic and Clinical Ethics
Compare and examine the consequences of an unethical behaviors in a nursing Master’s program, INCLUDING PLAGIARISM, and in the nursing practice by providing AT LEAST one example for each.
Please include 250-300 words in your initial posting by Wednesday night in APA Style 7th Ed. Then, answer two classmates (with 150 words) by Saturday at 23:59. Please include scholarly references.
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Nursing Academic and Clinical Ethics
Unethical Behavior in Nursing Master’s Programs and Clinical Practice
Unethical behavior in nursing, whether in academia or clinical settings, undermines the profession’s core values of integrity, accountability, and patient advocacy. In a Master’s-level nursing program, unethical conduct such as plagiarism not only violates academic integrity but also impedes a nurse’s professional development. For instance, a student who submits a plagiarized care plan may pass an assignment without truly understanding the content. This compromises their ability to apply critical thinking in clinical scenarios, ultimately endangering future patients (Green, 2020). Most academic institutions consider plagiarism a serious offense, with potential consequences including course failure, suspension, or expulsion (American Nurses Association [ANA], 2021).
In the clinical setting, unethical behavior can have life-altering consequences. For example, falsifying patient records or administering medication without proper documentation is not only unethical but illegal. In one documented case, a nurse administered narcotics to herself while charting that they were given to a patient. This led to patient harm, revocation of the nurse’s license, and criminal charges (Johnson & Lea, 2019). Such actions erode trust in the healthcare system and damage the profession’s reputation.
Both environments demand a commitment to ethical standards. Academic dishonesty can be a precursor to professional misconduct if not addressed early. Therefore, instilling ethical behavior in graduate education is not merely about preventing plagiarism—it’s about cultivating responsible, competent, and trustworthy nurse leaders.
References
American Nurses Association. (2021). Code of ethics for nurses with interpretive statements (2nd ed.). ANA.
Green, B. N. (2020). Academic integrity and nursing education: An integrative review. Journal of Nursing Education, 59(10), 567–574. https://doi.org/10.3928/01484834-20200921-06
Johnson, A., & Lea, J. (2019). Unethical practice and the erosion of trust in nursing. Nursing Ethics, 26(7-8), 2102–2113. https://doi.org/10.1177/0969733018791910