Rationalizing Academic Dishonesty and Its Effect on Nursing

The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of cheating in a bachelor’s degree nursing program and to determine if social normalization contributed to the increase. Three major sources for the increase in cheating were identified, and these are technological advances, lack of a specific cheating definition, and cultural socialization towards academic dishonesty (Wideman, 2011; DuPree and Sattler, 2010; Jones, 2011; Burrus, McGoldrick and Schuhmann, 2007). Studies showed a positive correlation between engagement in academic dishonesty and engagement in dishonest behaviors in nursing practice, which is the biggest concern for nursing programs (Krueger, 2014; Johnstone, 2016; McCrink, 2010). The survey was emailed to 401 students across various semesters in the nursing program, and 99 students participated in the survey. The survey was two parts with the first part being a 32 item Attitudes Towards Cheating Likert scale questionnaire and the second part being two qualitative questions asking about experience with cheating and tolerance of their peers cheating. Overall, the students showed lower rates of cheating in nursing school compared to other majors, and the nursing students held a mildly intolerable attitude towards cheating. However, most students were passive or tolerant of other students cheating, as the majority felt the maintenance of academic integrity regarding other students was not their responsibility. Continuing research is needed, as dishonest acts in school translate to poor integrity in nursing practice. The largest limitation to the study is that the prevalence rates of cheating are self-reported, thus lowering the accuracy of the study since there is negativity surrounding cheating