The Importance of Ethics and Integrity in Academic Work

Introduction

This essay will aim to demonstrate an understanding of the importance of ethics and integrity in academic work. It will propose to firstly define, in its simplest form, ethics and integrity and basic morals, supported by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) Code (NMC, 2018), further developing how these can be applied to academic work. The author will then underpin common behaviours within academia, such as, use of mobile devices, online etiquette, plagiarism, and general misconduct and how this fails to be ethically and morally diverse; without introducing integrity, honesty, responsibility or professionalism. Lastly, leading on to explain the importance of ethics and integrity in academic work and link with personal morals and behavioural standards. Furthermore, summarising ethics and integrity in academia introduced in this essay whilst highlighting skills that should be demonstrated throughout the course.

Definition of Terms

Ethics can be defined as being responsible, honourable and modest, whilst striving to achieve academic excellence. Integrity can also be defined as a "strict adherence to a moral code, reflected in transparent, honest and complete harmony, in what one thinks, says and does". Both ethics and integrity go hand in hand in health care, as well as academia. Basic moral principles, such as honesty, trustworthiness, respect and professionalism also correlate to behaviours within academia, reflecting personal character. In addition to this, The NMC Code (2018): a code or basic behavioural standard that nurses should adhere to provide the best person centred and family centred care, outlines skills that correlate with ethics and integrity in academic work. These are, practicing effectively and promoting professionalism and trust. Whilst practicing effectively, with the best available evidence; in academia this would connect to Harvard referencing and not representing another's work as one's own. Moreover, the NMC states "promoting professionalism and trust as upholding your professionalism at all times and upholding your position as a registered nurse, midwife or nursing associate". Whilst in academia, this can connect to personal morals and behavioural standards, meaning that all students should adhere to the behavioural contract set by the University, "erious issues that are not tolerated are plagiarism, cheating and any form of dishonesty; failure to accept and follow academic guidelines", and uphold their own professionalism, by remaining professional and having a strict adherence to a moral code.

Ethics and Integrity in Academic Setting

Academic misconduct is a primary example of lack of ethics and integrity. In academic settings, this is plagiarism, use of mobile phones in class, whether this be texting, not having your phone on silent or general inappropriate use of a mobile device in any lecture. Unmuting on a zoom lecture when not appropriate, shouting over lecturer's, all speaking at once, are all examples of poor online etiquette. Misconduct generally falls within being inappropriate in lessons and outside of them, not attending all classes or running late, cheating in exams, copying coursework, having an unacceptable approach to your own learning and peers. Unacceptable approaches are lack of communication, appearing uninterested or distracted, minimal effort demonstrated in coursework. As well as in the lecture theatre, misconduct can also be in the wider community, such as placements within hospitals.

M.W Bultas.et al (2018) states, "when college administrators, and nursing faculty value, support and build a culture of honesty and respect, student integrity should be evident in classroom and clinical practice". Along with ethics, which make an individual honest and honourable. The above examples fail to be ethically and morally diverse, by not showing a pure, honest character. Behaviour in online lectures being poor presents bad communication skills, plagiarism of work shows irresponsibility and untrustworthiness. Misconduct on clinical placement, breaks down the "culture of honesty and respect" built by the university, the hospital and the NMC. Nursing Ethics (2019) completed an investigation into academic ethical awareness among undergraduate nursing students, on 581 participants. It was found amongst the data that the majority of the first -year students, being 23.2% of the study, had a higher academical awareness than the other 76.8%. Meaning that these students had a greater understanding about academic misconduct; more aware of what not to do. These behaviours being: "cheating on tests, breaching patient confidentiality or respect on placement, unfaithful behaviours in clinical practice, plagiarism and irresponsible behaviours in class". It was found in similar studies that ethics and integrity to university students was "associated with maintaining moral ethics through not compromising one's conscience, not succumbing to peer pressure in circumstances where honesty is easily compromised".

In addition, ethics and integrity is important in academic work to gain a basic understanding of what is not accepted in terms of behaviour. It is also important to have ethics and integrity, as well as academically, to "make better decisions as ethics as a basic moral guide, boosting productivity and overall personal morale". Students will have a guide of what their character should be, whilst bringing their own basic morals and principles. However, nursing students must understand the meaning of integrity as it relates to their role as nursing students, and as future professional nurses. Jean Gabriel Guerrero-Dib et.al (2020), highlights that the importance of integrity and ethics in academia is to achieve two main things, "to achieve the necessary learnings and skills to appropriately perform a specific profession and to develop an ethical perspective which leads to correct decision making." An individual's personal morals and behavioural standards should be inline with the Universities behavioural contract and reflect ones own basic understanding of ethics and integrity. Being ethically and morally diverse whilst introducing integrity into good behaviours looks like: arriving to lectures on time and having effective time management, attending exams with no cheating, switching off mobile phones, engaging in class and with peers appropriately, staying muted on zoom lectures until spoken to, referencing all work and not using someone else's work as your own, handing work in at the deadline and staying respectful, honest at all times; even on placement.

Conclusion

In this essay the author has firstly defined ethics and integrity. Ethics and integrity is proposed as being morally efficient and always doing the right thing, being "honourable and honest" linked basic morals, supported by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) Code (NMC, 2018), further developing how these can be applied to academic work. The author has delivered common behaviours within academia, such as, use of mobile devices, online etiquette, plagiarism, and general misconduct and how this fails to be ethically and morally diverse; without introducing integrity, honesty, responsibility or professionalism. Lastly, leading on to explain the importance of ethics and integrity in academic work and how it is beneficial for personal development and to help make more informed decisions (M.W Bultas. Et al, 2018). On average students that followed disciplines within the nursing profession were less likely to engage in dishonest behaviours and cheat on exams, compared to those on alternative University Courses,which makes ethics and integrity important in shaping us as model students.