This annotated bibliography compiles and summarizes ten peer-reviewed studies and scholarly works examining academic dishonesty and integrity in nursing and health sciences education. The sources span multiple countries and methodological approaches, addressing the prevalence and forms of academic cheating, the socio-demographic and situational factors that influence dishonest behavior, and the role of faculty, institutional culture, and peer influence in shaping student ethics. Several entries focus specifically on nursing students, while others examine pharmacy or undergraduate populations for comparative insight. Together, the annotations highlight recurring themes such as plagiarism, clinical setting misconduct, online cheating in graduate programs, and recommended institutional responses including ethics codes and integrity policies.
Academic honesty is a foundational concern in nursing education, where ethical conduct in the classroom is understood to reflect — and potentially shape — professional behavior in clinical settings. The following annotated bibliography compiles ten studies examining the prevalence, causes, and consequences of academic dishonesty among nursing and health sciences students, along with recommended institutional responses.
Kececi, A., Bulduk, S., Oruc, D., & Celik, S. (2011). Academic dishonesty among nursing students: A descriptive study. Nursing Ethics, 18(5), 725–733.
This cross-sectional, descriptive study assessed academic dishonesty among Turkish university-level nursing students, with a sample size of 196 students. Data collection employed two instruments, each taking approximately 10 to 15 minutes to complete: (1) a questionnaire gathering socio-demographic data (age, sex, class, family structure, education level, and attitudes of educators and parents — e.g., democratic, permissive, or repressive); and (2) the Academic Dishonesty Tendency Scale, whose validity and reliability were established through testing on 262 individuals. Cronbach's alpha for the scale's sub-dimensions ranged from .71 to .82, with an overall alpha of .90. Descriptive statistics — including means, percentages, frequencies, and standard deviations — were applied to analyze demographic data. One-way analysis of variance, the Kruskal-Wallis test, the Wilcoxon rank-sum test, and the t-test were used to assess scale dimensions. The significance level was set at .05 with a reliability level of 0.95. Academic dishonesty was found to be at a medium level (i.e., scores between 2.60 and 3.39) among nursing students at Turkish universities.
Krueger, L. (2014). Academic dishonesty among nursing students. J Nurs Educ., 53(2), 77–87.
This quantitative study identified situational and socio-demographic factors influencing academic dishonesty among 336 nursing students, examined their attitudes toward different types of academic dishonesty, and assessed how frequently they engaged in or witnessed dishonest behavior. Over 50% of respondents self-reported cheating in both clinical and classroom settings. The findings suggest a positive association between cheating in clinical and classroom environments. Results revealed disparities in the frequency of academic dishonesty involvement, as well as in attitudes toward dishonesty, based on ethnic origin, sex, and the student's current semester. Associations were also observed among personal values and beliefs, peer behavior, and frequency of involvement in academic dishonesty.
Theart, C. J. (2011). The status of academic integrity among nursing students (Master of Nursing Science Thesis).
This quantitative study employed a descriptive survey design. The overall study population consisted of 688 pre-registration nursing students — 319 in their second year, 199 in their third, and 170 in their fourth year. A convenience sampling method was used to select 80% of students from each year group (255 from the second year, 159 from the third, and 136 from the fourth), yielding a sample of n=550. Academic dishonesty data were collected via a self-reporting questionnaire comprising 61 Likert-scale items and 3 open-ended questions. The questionnaire was grounded in the research objectives and a review of relevant literature; pilot testing was conducted to ensure validity and reliability, supplemented by input from specialists in nursing education and research methodology. Data were gathered by the researcher alone during scheduled classes. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used for analysis, and ethical approval was obtained. Participant confidentiality and anonymity were ensured; consent was considered given upon questionnaire completion. Academic dishonesty was found to be a stark reality at the nursing education institution studied. Cheating related to assignments and plagiarism were identified as key problem areas, and an intolerably high degree of dishonesty was observed in the completion of practical records. Recommendations included the creation and enforcement of a code of ethics, adoption of comprehensive academic integrity policies, and practical measures to address cheating during exams and tests.
Theart, C. J., & Smit, I. (2012). The status of academic integrity amongst nursing students at a nursing education institution in the Western Cape. Curationis, 35(1).
This study employed a descriptive, quantitative survey design and used a questionnaire — developed on the basis of research aims and a literature review — to collect information about academic dishonesty. Three open-ended questions were also included to gather qualitative input from participants. The study involved a large sample of 550 students selected via convenience sampling, with 80% drawn from each distinct student group. Academic dishonesty was confirmed to be a present reality at the nursing education institution studied. Cheating related to assignments and plagiarism were identified as key problem areas, and an intolerably high level of dishonesty was observed in the completion of practical records. Recommendations included the creation and enforcement of an ethics code, adoption of comprehensive academic integrity policies, and practical measures to address student cheating during exams and tests.
Winrow, A. R., Reitmaier-Koehler, A., & Winrow, B. P. (2015). Social desirability bias in relation to academic cheating behaviors of nursing students. Journal of Nursing Education and Practice, 5(8).
This study examined the relationship between academic cheating and a range of demographic and academic characteristics, as well as the relationship between social desirability bias and those same characteristics. The study population consisted of 626 pre-nursing, graduate, and baccalaureate nursing students enrolled at a comprehensive regional Midwest university. Findings indicated that 36.5% of graduate students and 53.8% of undergraduate students self-reported engaging in at least one of 16 identified types of academic cheating in the previous semester, with plagiarism being the most common behavior cited. The study also examined misconduct among BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing) students and found that 35.2% committed at least one act that could be classified as professional misconduct within a professional setting. Statistically significant differences were found between students' age and the incidence of spontaneous cheating, plagiarism-related cheating, professional misconduct, and planned cheating; older nursing students cheated less frequently. Similarly, students who had completed more credit hours showed a decreased likelihood of plagiarizing or engaging in spontaneous cheating. Older students and those who had completed more credits also scored higher on the social desirability scale, indicating a greater tendency to display social desirability bias.
"Role of culture, peers, and faculty in misconduct"
"Digital cheating and transfer to clinical practice"
"Integrity perceptions beyond nursing student populations"
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