Compare and examine the consequences of an unethical behaviors in a nursing Master’s program and in the nursing practice by providing one example for each.
Please include 350-400 words AND a scholarly reference .
Unethical behavior in a nursing Master’s program and in nursing practice can have significant consequences that impact not only the individuals involved but also patients, healthcare institutions, and the profession as a whole. Let’s examine the consequences through one example for each context.
In a Nursing Master’s Program: Example: Plagiarism in a Master’s Thesis
Consequences:
- Academic and Professional Reputation: Engaging in plagiarism, such as copying someone else’s work without proper attribution, can severely damage a student’s academic and professional reputation. It erodes the trust that educators and peers have in the student’s abilities and integrity.
- Academic Consequences: Plagiarism is a serious academic offense and can result in disciplinary actions, including failing the course or even expulsion from the program. This can significantly delay or even derail the student’s educational and career aspirations.
- Ethical Dilemma: Encountering unethical behavior in a Master’s program can lead to ethical dilemmas for educators and peers who are responsible for reporting such misconduct. They may face difficult decisions regarding whether to confront the individual or maintain silence, potentially compromising their own ethical standards.
- Impacts on Learning: Unethical behaviors like plagiarism hinder the genuine learning experience of the student. Instead of acquiring the necessary knowledge and skills to excel in nursing practice, the student resorts to shortcuts that hinder their professional growth.
In Nursing Practice: Example: Patient Neglect
Consequences:
- Patient Harm: Neglecting patient care, such as failing to administer medications on time or ignoring patient complaints, can result in direct harm to patients. This can lead to worsened medical conditions, complications, and even fatalities in severe cases.
- Legal Ramifications: Unethical behaviors in nursing practice can have legal consequences. Neglecting patient care may result in malpractice lawsuits, professional sanctions, or even loss of nursing licensure, jeopardizing the nurse’s ability to practice.
- Trust Erosion: Patients and their families place immense trust in healthcare providers. When nurses engage in unethical behaviors like patient neglect, it erodes this trust and damages the reputation of the healthcare institution, affecting the entire profession’s credibility.
- Emotional and Psychological Impact: Nurses who engage in unethical behavior may experience significant emotional and psychological distress due to their actions, leading to burnout, guilt, and long-term emotional consequences.
In summary, unethical behaviors in both a nursing Master’s program and nursing practice have far-reaching consequences. In academia, plagiarism can harm one’s academic and professional reputation, result in disciplinary actions, and create ethical dilemmas. In practice, patient neglect can lead to patient harm, legal ramifications, trust erosion, and emotional distress. These consequences underscore the importance of upholding ethical standards in nursing education and practice to ensure the well-being of patients and the integrity of the profession.
Reference: Smith, M., & Godfrey, N. (2018). Ethics in Nursing Education: Learning to Live, Learning to Care. Nurse Education in Practice, 32, 108-112. doi:10.1016/j.nepr.2018.07.010