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Graduate nursing student scholarly writing: improving writing proficiency, article sidebar, main article content.

Since 2011, enrollment in Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) graduate nursing programs increased by almost 300%, suggesting that nursing had entered its “golden age.” This steep-growth trajectory reflects the concomitant growth in the number of doctoral programs, today exceeding 435 for the combined DNP and Ph.D. degrees. Unfortunately, the recent progress in advancing nurses in academic programs is hampered by a weakness in a competency crucial for nurses to complete their rigorous academic programs and disseminate research findings or evidence-based practice project interventions: academic writing proficiency . Since nursing curricula at the undergraduate level place lesser emphasis on the humanities, nursing students lack training in the liberal arts compendium of logic, grammar, and rhetoric necessary for effective and articulate communication and dissemination of knowledge in the field of nursing. Data generated from a recent national survey offers new perspectives on the pervasive problem of poor scholarly writing evidenced by students in graduate nursing programs: 97% of graduate papers contain grammatical errors, and only 13% of students demonstrate higher-order skills. While 81% of graduate program faculty ranked their own writing ability as “exceptional” or “highly proficient,” graduate faculty noted that 97% of the time, student papers evidenced numerous grammatical errors, such as flawed sentence structure, run-on sentences, punctuation errors, and ambiguous word choice. These data suggest that graduate nursing programs must pursue avenues to address student writing shortfalls.

The authors opine that the absence of action suggests that graduate nursing programs may be in a dilemma that parallels the metaphor and urban legend of the boiled frog, wherein acceptance of an unacceptable change occurs gradually through minor, unimportant, and unnoticed increments. Aimed at addressing this dilemma, the authors discuss the potential value of offering a customized writing course to refresh and improve students’ basic writing mechanics. A sample curriculum focuses on critical thinking, clarity, and logical flow. Nursing academicians must acknowledge the drift to low writing performance in their students, advance proficiency in scholarly writing to the top of the graduate nursing education’s agenda, and prepare nurses to achieve in nursing’s “golden age.”

Article Details

The  Medical Research Archives  grants authors the right to publish and reproduce the unrevised contribution in whole or in part at any time and in any form for any scholarly non-commercial purpose with the condition that all publications of the contribution include a full citation to the journal as published by the  Medical Research Archives .

Promoting critical thinking and academic writing skills in nurse education

Affiliation.

  • 1 School of Health Science, Blekinge Institute of Technology, Blekinge, Sweden. [email protected]
  • PMID: 21807442
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.nedt.2011.06.009

Although academic skills, conceptualised as writing and critical thinking, are a vital part of university studies, research indicates that many students leave without having mastered these skills effectively. This research also reflects on nursing students. Nursing could also be said to be hampered by a number of complex educational challenges that are likely to impact on the academic socialisation process in general. These challenges include being a relatively 'young' academic discipline, the 'theory-practice' divide, a knowledge bed lying on a complex intersection of two 'antithetical sciences' and, at least in the Scandinavian countries, an increasing number of nurse educators with a PhD in nursing science but with limited time to develop their own teaching skills. In combination, these challenges have the potential to act as stumbling blocks, both from a teaching and learning perspective. I would suggest that a departure in teaching from theoretical educational models, such as Lea and Street's 'academic literacies model,' including skills, socialisation and academic literacy models simultaneously, could be one of several ways forward to create a learning environment that takes these issues into account.

Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Education, Nursing / organization & administration*
  • Models, Educational
  • Models, Nursing
  • Nursing Education Research
  • Problem-Based Learning*
  • Students, Nursing / psychology*

Writing Tips for Nursing School Students

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Updated November 15, 2022

Reviewed by

Shrilekha Deshaies

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Are you ready to earn your online nursing degree?

Writing is an essential skill nurses should achieve proficiency in early in their career. It is a crucial part of the profession, as nurses need to be able to effectively communicate with patients, families, and other healthcare professionals.

While verbal communication also plays a vital role in nursing, being able to write well builds the nurse's ability to provide better care.

Being able to accurately detail a patient's personal history, symptoms, and diagnosis allows for the execution of a precise treatment plan that is clearly communicated to all parties involved, both professional and personal.

From registered nurses to clinical nurses and beyond, being able to communicate effectively and efficiently is a critical soft skill that will help nurses in any role increase their ability to treat their patients.

This guide provides an overview of the types of writing nurses will experience throughout their educational training. Utilize the following tips and tricks to help strengthen your writing skills, which will ultimately help in the development of transferable career skills .

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Types of writing nurses will do in school, personal statements for nursing school.

Nursing schools want candidates who meet academic and professional requirements. They also want a candidate who demonstrates a sincere passion for patient care and individual connections. You should always craft a personal statement, even when the application doesn't explicitly require one. Personal statements allow you to describe your goals, characteristics, credentials, volunteer work, and meaningful life experiences. A well-crafted essay can help you stand out among other qualified applicants. And, as with any piece of writing, you must take the time to revise.

In your personal statement, you should portray yourself as determined and empathetic, with characteristics, goals, work ethic, and healthcare philosophy that align with a program's values. Some nursing schools ask for a general personal statement, while others require a specific prompt. Colleges commonly ask students to describe a hardship they overcame, a difficult task they accomplished, or a professional goal they hope to achieve through the program. Many schools also ask students to detail previous experiences in healthcare. You may decide to write about how you connect with patients or how you provide practical and emotional support to loved ones.

You will also encounter writing prompts during examinations, including standardized tests like the GRE or MCAT, nursing school entrance exams , and course-specific evaluations. You may also take exams to get state licensure or professional certification. In most of these instances, you will need to write one or several long-form essays. Proper planning is key. Though you won't know what specific prompt the test will require, you can expect certain common topics. You can search online or use study guides to determine which prompts usually appear on each test.

On test day, you should begin by creating an outline that lists three main points in response to the prompt. Using these points, work backwards to write a central thesis to guide the essay's structure. Review what you've written to ensure that the essay actually responds to the prompt at hand. Be sure to leave time to correct spelling, grammar, and stylistic errors.

Research Papers

Like essays, research papers follow a long-form structure. Unlike an essay, which heavily relies on the writer's point of view, a research paper presents an in-depth investigation of a topic using data, expert opinions, and insights. While an essay evaluates general critical thinking and writing skills, a research paper tests your knowledge, research skills, and original contributions. Research papers also allow you to prove you understand what has been argued and discovered about a topic. Research papers, especially at the graduate and doctoral levels, require independent research and analyses. These papers sometimes take months or years to complete.

To write a successful research paper, you should pick a topic relevant to your interests and the nursing field. Possibilities include elderly care challenges, patient safety and ethics, mental health treatment and regulations in the U.S., and nursing shortages and possible solutions. Whatever your choice, you must plan accordingly. Advanced papers such as dissertations may require funding or help from professors. Research papers often consist of the following sections: abstract, introduction, literature review, methods, results, discussion, conclusion, and references. You should keep this general structure in mind as you prepare notes and outlines.

How Do You Write a Nursing Essay?

In nursing school, essay writing includes academic papers, personal narratives, and professional compositions. You should become familiar with each of the five major forms below. There are many similarities between these essay types, such as an overarching thesis and a supportive, logical structure. You should support claims with factual, statistical, anecdotal, and rhetorical evidence. However, each form requires distinct skills to achieve specific results.

Comparative

Cause and effect, citations guide for nursing students.

Citations allow readers to know where information came from. By citing sources, you avoid plagiarizing or stealing another person's ideas, research, language, and analyses. Whether intentional or unintentional, plagiarism is one of the most egregious errors one can make. Consequences for plagiarism include automatic course failure, disciplinary actions from the university, and even legal repercussions. You should take special care to ensure you properly cite sources.

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American Psychological Association (APA) Style

APA is the most commonly used style among natural scientists, social scientists, educators, and nurses. Like other citation styles, APA emphasizes clarity of font style, font size, spacing, and paragraph structure. APA citations focus on publication date, and in most cases, the date comes right after the author's name. This order makes the style particularly useful for scientists, who value new research and updates on current findings. For more information on APA style, visit this official website .

(Author and year of publication, page number) "Punishment, then, will tend to become the most hidden part of the penal process" (Foucault, 1977, p. 9).

Chicago Manual of Style (CMS)

CMS (also known as CMOS or, simply, Chicago) features two citation systems, the notes and bibliography, and the author and date. This style is used primarily by historians, who place high importance on a text's origin. The notes and bibliography include a superscript number with a corresponding footnote or endnote. Scientific professionals use the author and date citation, a generic parenthetical system with similarities to other citation styles. The CMS official website provides additional information, including changes to citation systems in the current edition.

"Punishment, then, will tend to become the most hidden part of the penal process". 1 1. Michel Foucault, trans. Alan Sheridan, Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison (New York: Pantheon Books, 1977), 9.

(Author and year of publication, page number) "Punishment, then, will tend to become the most hidden part of the penal process" (Foucault 1977, 9).

Modern Language Association (MLA) Format

MLA format traces its history to 1951 when it was first published as a thin booklet. Today, MLA is the primary format used by academics and professionals in humanities, English, literature, media studies, and cultural studies. To adapt to the rapid growth of new mediums over the past few decades, MLA updates its citation system. Visit the MLA Style Center for in-depth information on new guidelines and ongoing changes. In general, in text citations consist of author and page number, or just page number if the author's name appears in the text.

(Author and page number) "Punishment, then, will tend to become the most hidden part of the penal process" (Foucault 9).

Associated Press (AP) Style

Published in 1952, the original AP Stylebook was marketed to journalists and other professionals related to the Associated Press. AP now stands as the go-to style for professionals in business, public relations, media, mass communications, and journalism. AP style prioritizes brevity and accuracy. The style includes specific guidelines regarding technological terms, titles, locations, and abbreviations and acronyms. Unlike the previous styles, AP does not use parenthetical or in-text citations. Rather, writers cite sources directly in the prose. For more information, including style-checking tools and quizzes, visit the Associated Press Stylebook .

In the book, "Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison," first published in English in 1977, philosopher Michel Foucault argues that "Punishment, then, will tend to become the most hidden part of the penal process".

Which Style Should Nursing Students Use?

Because nurses rely on scientific terms and information, professionals in the field usually use APA style. Regardless of the purpose and specific genre of your text, you should always strive for concise, objective, and evidenced-based writing. You can expect to learn APA style as soon as you enroll in a major course. However, you should also prepare to learn other styles as part of your academic training. For example, freshman composition classes tend to focus on MLA guidelines.

Common Writing Mistakes Students Make

Active vs. passive voice.

Active and passive voice represent two different ways to present the same piece of information. Active voice focuses on the subject performing an action. For example, the dog bites the boy. This format creates clear, concise, and engaging writing. Using active voice, nurses might write, I administered patient care at 11:00. Passive voice, on the other hand, focuses on the object of the sentence or the action being performed. For example, the boy was bitten by the dog. A passive sentence is usually one that contains the verb "to be." Using passive voice, you might write, patient care was administered at 11:00.

Professionals in the sciences often use passive voice in their writing to create an objective tone and authorial distance. Passive voice can prioritize specific terms, actions, evidence, or research over the writer's presence. Additionally, nurses use passive voice because it is usually clear that the reported thoughts, actions, and opinions come from them. However, you must also learn how to use active voice.

Punctuation

There are 14 punctuation marks in the English language, each with multiple and sometimes overlapping uses. Additionally, certain punctuation marks only make sense in highly specific and nuanced grammatical instances. To master punctuation, you must learn through practice, particularly by revising your own writing.

For example, colons and semicolons are often used interchangeably, when they actually serve distinct purposes. Generally used before itemized lists, colons stand in for the phrases "here is what I mean" or "that is to say." For example, I am bringing three things to the picnic: applesauce, napkins, and lemonade. Semicolons separate two independent clauses connected through topic or meaning. For example, It was below zero; Ricardo wondered if he would freeze to death. Comma splices, which create run on sentences, are another common mistake. You can identify a comma splice by learning the differences between an independent and dependent clause.

Grammar refers to the rules of a particular language system. Grammar determines how users can structure words and form sentences with coherent meaning. Aspects include syntax (the arrangement of words to convey their mutual relations in a sentence) and semantics (how individual words and word groups are understood). Unless you major in writing, literature, etymology, or another related field, you generally won't examine English grammar deeply. Through years of cognitive development and practice, native users implicitly understand how to effectively employ the language.

Distinct grammatical systems exist for each language and, sometimes, even within a single language. For example, African American Vernacular English uses different syntactic rules than General American English. You should learn grammatical terms and definitions. Common errors include subject/verb agreement, sentence fragments, dangling modifiers, and vague or incorrect pronoun usage. Hasty writers can also misuse phonetically similar words (your/you're, its/it's, and there/their/they're).

Writing Resources for Nursing Students

Reviewed by:.

Portrait of Shrilekha Deshaies, MSN, RN

Shrilekha Deshaies, MSN, RN

Shri Deshaies is a nurse educator with over 20 years of experience teaching in hospital, nursing school, and community settings. Deshaies' clinical area of expertise is critical care nursing and she is a certified critical care nurse. She has worked in various surgical ICUs throughout her career, including cardiovascular, trauma, and neurosurgery.

Shri Deshaies is a paid member of our Healthcare Review Partner Network. Learn more about our review partners here .

Page last reviewed November 30, 2021

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Academic Writing for Nursing & Health

The e-books and resources listed below offer practical guidance on academic writing for nurses, whether you're writing for a school assignment, or considering a submission for publication.

Writing as a Student

""

Writing for Publication

  • American Journal of Nursing: Writing Resources This series of articles from AJN takes nurses step-by-step through the writing and publishing process, including advice for what types of articles to write, guidance on writing a manuscript for publication, and navigating the publishing process.

""

Reporting Guidelines

If you are writing a manuscript in which you describe the results of an original study, quality improvement project, or systematic literature review, it is important to be aware of any guidelines that exist to ensure the complete and transparent reporting of the information about your project. 

Searchable Registry of Reporting Guidelines

  • Equator Network: Enhancing the QUAlity and Transparency Of health Research Comprehensive searchable database of reporting guidelines for main study types and also links to other resources relevant to research reporting.

Select Reporting Guidelines

  • CONSORT (CONsolidated Standards Of Reporting Trials) The CONSORT Statement is an evidence-based, minimum set of standards for reporting of randomized trials . It offers a standard way for authors to prepare reports of trial findings, facilitating their complete and transparent reporting, and aiding their critical appraisal and interpretation.
  • TREND (Transparent Reporting of Evaluations with Nonrandomized Designs) The TREND statement has a 22-item checklist specifically developed to guide standardized reporting of non-randomized controlled trials .

RISMA is an evidence-based minimum set of items for reporting in systematic reviews and meta-analyses . PRISMA primarily focuses on the reporting of reviews evaluating the effects of interventions, but can also be used as a basis for reporting systematic reviews with objectives other than evaluating interventions.

There are also extensions available for scoping reviews , as well as other aspects or types of systematic reviews.

  • SQUIRE 2.0 (Standards for QUality Improvement Reporting Excellence) The SQUIRE guidelines provide a framework for reporting new knowledge about how to improve healthcare (i.e., quality improvement ). These guidelines are intended for reports that describe system level work to improve the quality, safety, and value of healthcare, and used methods to establish that observed outcomes were due to the intervention(s).

Selecting a Journal for Publication

Tips & tools.

The following resources can help you identify a journal that might be a good fit for your paper.

  • Journal/Author Name Estimator (JANE) JANE is an online tool that uses the text of your paper's title/abstract to locate papers that are similar to yours, so that you can identify relevant journals, and authors working in similar areas.
  • Directory of Nursing Journals The Directory of Nursing Journals is a joint service of the journal Nurse Author & Editor and the International Academy of Nursing Editors (INANE). For more information, visit the INANE website
  • Article: Where should you publish? Choosing a journal for your manuscript Likis, F. E. (2018). Where should you publish? Choosing a journal for your manuscript. Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health, 63 (1), 7–9. https://doi.org/10.1111/jmwh.12733
  • Article: Selecting a journal for your manuscript Sharifi, C., & Buccheri, R. K. (2020). Selecting a journal for your manuscript: A 4-step process. Journal of Professional Nursing, 36 (1), 85-91.

Avoiding Predatory Publications

What is a 'predatory publication'.

“Predatory journals and publishers are entities that prioritize self-interest at the expense of scholarship and are characterized by false or misleading information, deviation from best editorial and publication practices, a lack of transparency, and/or the use of aggressive and indiscriminate solicitation practices.” 1

These predatory publications typically collect large article processing charges (APCs) without providing the peer review and editorial support that can be expected from a quality scholarly publication.   Checklist to evaluating a journal 2

  • Check that the publisher provides full, verifiable contact information, including address, on the journal site. Be cautious of those that provide only web contact forms.
  • Check that a journal’s editorial board lists recognized experts with full affiliations. Contact some of them and ask about their experience with the journal or publisher.
  • Check that the journal prominently displays its policy for author fees.
  • Be wary of e-mail invitations to submit to journals or to become editorial board members.
  • Read some of the journal’s published articles and assess their quality. Contact past authors to ask about their experience.
  • Check that a journal’s peer-review process is clearly described and try to confirm that a claimed impact factor is correct.
  • Find out whether the journal is a member of an industry association that vets its members, such as the Directory of Open Access Journals (www.doaj.org) or the Open Access Scholarly Publishers Association (www.oaspa.org).
  • Use common sense, as you would when shopping online; if something looks fishy, proceed with caution.
  • Grudniewicz, A., Moher, D., Cobey, K. D., Bryson, G. L., Cukier, S., Allen, K., ... & Lalu, M. M. (2019). Predatory journals: no definition, no defence .
  • Declan Butler, Butler, D., & others. (2013). The dark side of publishing . Nature, 495(7442), 433–435.

Resources for Evaluating Journals

  • Think. Check. Submit. Choosing trusted journals for your research.
  • ACRL toolkit for evaluating journals Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Scholarly Communication Toolkit: Evaluating Journals
  • Directory of Open Access Journals DOAJ is an online directory that indexes and provides access to high quality, open access, peer-reviewed journals.
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  • SHERPA/Romeo Publisher copyright policies & self-archiving. Locate a summary of permissions that are normally given as part of each publisher's copyright transfer agreement.
  • Ulrichsweb This link opens in a new window Ulrichsweb is an authoritative source of detailed information on periodicals of all types -- academic and scholarly journals, Open Access publications, peer-reviewed titles, popular magazines, newspapers, newsletters, and more from around the world.
  • PubsHub Journals & Congresses This link opens in a new window PubsHub is a database containing comprehensive details on peer-reviewed medical journals and academic conferences for those interested in scholarly publishing or presentation. Includes: Readership, Impact Factor, Eigenfactor, Article Influence, Scope & specialty, Rejection rates, Time to acceptance, time to publication, Indexing, open-access, Article types accepted, Author guidelines, Editorial contacts, more.
  • Journal Citation Reports This link opens in a new window Includes publication and citation metrics (such as Impact Factor) for journals in the social sciences and sciences.
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Academic essays part 1: the importance of academic writing.

John Fowler

Educational Consultant, explores how to survive your nursing career

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John Fowler, Educational Consultant, explores academic writing

academic writing nursing article

How confident are you in your ability to write academic essays? If you are a student nurse in your first year of training then your answer will depend largely on your previous success, or not, in GCSEs, A levels and the equivalent. If you entered nursing via an alternative route that had less emphasis on traditional academic preparation, then your confidence in writing an essay that draws on referenced literature will probably be much reduced. Even if you were quite strong at school or college work, you may find the transition to self-directed degree study quite difficult. If you are a qualified nurse with a pre-registration diploma or degree, returning to university study to complete a post-registration master's degree, you may still have reservations about your ability to re-engage with academic writing. If you are confident of your ability to communicate nursing theory and its application to clinical care, then this series of articles is probably not for you! However, my experience of teaching nurses, from first-year students to specialist nurses undertaking PhDs, is that very few are confident in their academic writing skills.

Academic ability versus academic writing

For most nurses who struggle with academic skills, it is usually not their innate academic ability that is the problem, but the lack of specific skills required to research the question and then communicate valid findings in a reliable way. For student nurses, this is about understanding where the body of nursing knowledge lies, be that the literature, protocols or clinical practice, how to access it and then communicate those findings. For the experienced nurse undertaking a post-registration degree, it is about dusting off library skills, getting to grips with different IT, exploring the knowledge base relevant to, but outside, pure nursing, understanding the relevance and use of clinical experience and, finally, mastering the skills of writing a long essay that communicates knowledge, experience and innovative ideas.

What ‘sister says’

When I trained as a nurse, it was in pre-university and pre-diploma or degree days; the ward sister or the medical consultant was the source of knowledge. Students quickly learned to develop their nursing skills according to what ‘sister says’: ward sisters and ward routines were the source of knowledge and authority. As nursing research and evidence-based protocols developed and began to inform nursing practice in the 1980s, the source of knowledge moved away from this and included ‘what the literature says’. Nurse training was underpinned at diploma level, validated by a university system that stressed the importance of referencing published materials as the source of authority. As the scientific base and the wealth of nursing-related literature increased over the next 20 years, student nurses were required not just to refer to the literature, but to demonstrate their discussion and critical review of a body of knowledge based on valid and robust evidence; this was reflected in the move to make nursing an all-graduate profession in the early 2010s. In what ways has this transition from ‘sister says’ to the ‘literature says’ changed the way we inform our practice?

Has our ability to apply knowledge to clinical practice changed?

To inform clinical practice and develop clinical expertise, a nurse needs to take various aspects of evidence, evaluate its appropriateness and then apply it to a specific patient or clinical situation. This was true when I was a student nurse and the source of knowledge was the ward sister. It is equally true today when the source of knowledge is more literature-based. What has changed is the origin of the knowledge. In my student days it was probably 85% ward sister and 15% text books. Today it is more like 40% clinical staff and 60% evidenced-based literature. To inform clinical practice, we need to assess the validity and reliability of the knowledge, both clinical- and literature-based, evaluate it and then apply it to clinical care. The difficulty that nursing has over the pure biological science healthcare professions, such as pharmacy and medical sciences, is that a significant proportion of nursing practice draws from the social sciences concerned with feelings and interactions. When a patient is in pain, we know we can draw upon the science of pharmacology and pain administration protocols, but it is only our observation of experienced staff and our own experiential learning that guides us as to when to hold a hand, sit by the bedside or ask about the patient's worries regarding family or pets. Communicating this interaction of hard biological science, evidence-based protocols and the application of softer caring skills is a difficult, yet important, part of academic writing for the nurse. How do we write an essay that justifies the possible benefits of holding a patient's hand, when there are no randomised controlled trials to support its application?

This forthcoming series will explore all the practicalities of planning an essay, managing the literature, developing structure and content, but it will not lose sight of this important principle of incorporating holistic clinical nursing care into academic writing.

Writing Center Home Page

OASIS: Writing Center

Common assignments: writing in nursing.

Although there may be some differences in writing expectations between disciplines, all writers of scholarly work are required to follow basic writing standards such as writing clear, concise, and grammatically correct sentences; using proper punctuation; demonstrating critical thought; and, in all Walden programs, using APA style. When writing in nursing, however, students must also be familiar with the goals of the discipline and discipline-specific writing expectations.

Nurses are primarily concerned about providing quality care to patients and their families, and this demands both technical knowledge and the appropriate expression of ideas (“Writing in nursing,” n.d). As a result, nursing students are expected to learn how to present information succinctly, and even though they may often use technical medical terminology (“Writing in nursing,” n.d.), their work should be accessible to anyone who may read it. Among many goals, writers within this discipline are required to:

  • Document knowledge/research
  • Demonstrate critical thinking
  • Express creative ideas
  • Explore nursing literature
  • Demonstrate understanding of learning activities. (Wagner, n.d., para. 2)

Given this broad set of objectives, nursing students would benefit from learning how to write diverse literature, including scholarly reports, reviews, articles, and so on. They should aim to write work that can be used in both the research and clinical aspects of the discipline. Walden instructors often ask nursing students to write position and reflective papers, critique articles, gather and analyze data, respond to case studies, and work collaboratively on a project. Although there may be differences between the writing expectations within the classroom and those in the workplace, the standards noted below, though more common in scholarly writing, require skills that are transferrable to the work setting.

Because one cannot say everything there is to say about a particular subject, writers present their work from a particular perspective. For instance, one might choose to examine the shortage of nurses from a public policy perspective. One’s particular contribution, position, argument, or viewpoint is commonly referred to as the thesis and, according to Gerring et al. (2004), a good thesis is one that is “new, true, and significant” (p. 2). To strengthen a thesis, one might consider presenting an argument that goes against what is currently accepted within the field while carefully addressing counterarguments and adequately explaining why the issue under consideration matters (Gerring et al., 2004). The thesis is particularly important because readers want to know whether the writer has something new or worthwhile to say about the topic. Thus, as you review the literature, before writing, it is important to find gaps and creative linkages between viewpoints with the goal of contributing innovative ideas to an ongoing discussion. For a contribution to be worthwhile you must read the literature carefully and without bias; doing this will enable you to identify some of the subtle differences in the viewpoints presented by different authors and help you to better identify the gaps in the literature. Because the thesis is essentially the heart of your discussion, it is important that it is argued objectively and persuasively.

With the goal of providing high quality care, the healthcare industry places a premium on rigorous research as the foundation for evidence-based practices. Thus, students are expected to keep up with the most current research in their field and support the assertions they make in their work with evidence from the literature. Nursing students also must learn how to evaluate evidence in nursing literature and identify the studies that answer specific clinical questions (Oermann & Hays, 2011). Writers are also expected to critically analyze and evaluate studies and assess whether findings can be used in clinical practice (Beyea & Slattery, 2006). (Some useful and credible sources include journal articles, other peer-reviewed sources, and authoritative sources that might be found on the web. If you need help finding credible sources contact a librarian.)

Like other APA style papers, research papers in nursing should follow the following format: title, abstract, introduction, literature review, method, results, discussion, references, and appendices (see APA 7, Sections 2.16-2.25). Note that the presentation follows a certain logic: In the introduction one presents the issue under consideration; in the literature review, one presents what is already known about the topic (thus providing a context for the discussion), identifies gaps, and presents one’s approach; in the methods section, one would then identify the method used to gather data; and in the results and discussion sections, one then presents and explains the results in an objective manner, noting the limitations of the study (Dartmouth Writing Program, 2005). Note that not all papers need to be written in this manner; for guidance on the formatting of a basic course paper, see the appropriate template on our website.

In their research, nursing researchers use quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods. In quantitative studies, researchers rely primarily on quantifiable data; in qualitative studies, they use data from interviews or other types of narrative analyses; and in mixed methods studies, they use both qualitative and quantitative approaches. A researcher should be able to pose a researchable question and identify an appropriate research method. Whatever method the researcher chooses, the research must be carried out in an objective and scientific manner, free from bias. Keep in mind that your method will have an impact on the credibility of your work, so it is important that your methods are rigorous. Walden offers a series of research methods courses to help students become familiar with the various research methods.

Instructors expect students to master the content of the discipline and use discipline- appropriate language in their writing. In practice, nurses may be required to become familiar with standardized nursing language as it has been found to lead to the following:

  • better communication among nurses and other health care providers,
  • increased visibility of nursing interventions,
  • improved patient care,
  • enhanced data collection to evaluate nursing care outcomes,
  • greater adherence to standards of care, and
  • facilitated assessment of nursing competency. (Rutherford, 2008)

Like successful writers in other disciplines and in preparation for diverse roles within their fields, in their writing nursing students should demonstrate that they (a) have cultivated the thinking skills that are useful in their discipline, (b) are able to communicate professionally, and (c) can incorporate the language of the field in their work appropriately (Colorado State University, 2011).

If you have content-specific questions, be sure to ask your instructor. The Writing Center is available to help you present your ideas as effectively as possible.

Beyea, S. C., & Slattery, M. J. (2006). Evidence-based practice in nursing: A guide to successful implementation . http://www.hcmarketplace.com/supplemental/3737_browse.pdf

Colorado State University. (2011). Why assign WID tasks? http://wac.colostate.edu/intro/com6a1.cfm

Dartmouth Writing Program. (2005). Writing in the social sciences . http://www.dartmouth.edu/~writing/materials/student/soc_sciences/write.shtml

Rutherford, M. (2008). Standardized nursing language: What does it mean for nursing practice? [Abstract]. Online Journal of Issues in Nursing , 13 (1). http://ojin.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ThePracticeofProfessionalNursing/Health-IT/StandardizedNursingLanguage.html

Wagner, D. (n.d.). Why writing matters in nursing . https://www.svsu.edu/nursing/programs/bsn/programrequirements/whywritingmatters/

Writing in nursing: Examples. (n.d.). http://www.technorhetoric.net/7.2/sectionone/inman/examples.html

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Improving Academic Writing in Nursing Education

Improving Academic Writing in Nursing Education

Is nursing a calling? Many people seem to believe so. The reason for this is that nursing requires a selfless dedication that is not typically observed in other professions. Nurses have to put in a lot of time and possess attributes like empathy to be directed at the patient. Communication skills are another major soft skill that successful nurses possess. It allows them to effectively communicate with patients and colleagues. There are several other skills that constitute communication skills, one of which is academic writing. Academic nursing writing is a hard skill and is a necessary skill to acquire in order to pass a class or whatever specialized nursing undergraduate program one is undertaking. Many writing assignments are issued at different intervals and nursing students are expected to meet the obligation of successfully completing and submitting them. This task is not always possible for a good number of nursing students. One reason for this is because they lack time to dedicate themselves to completing the particular academic nursing writing assignment. Many others are not experienced with the scholarly writing process and are therefore incapable of consistently producing great assignments that will give them good grades.

Professional Nursing Writing Service Academic nursing writing services have cropped up to address this gap in nursing education. A proper writing services provider employs highly qualified writers, has a track record of producing world class articles in a timely manner and sets affordable charges. The only company that meets the criteria is Nursingwritingservices.com. We help students from the USA, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand pass their nursing writing assignments. We can also help you!

Academic writing skills needed in nursing.

There are many different types of academic writing papers written in nursing education. The most common ones that we handle are listed below:

  • Nursing Essays
  • Nursing care plans
  • Research Papers
  • Laboratory Reports
  • Case Studies Each of them have their own formats and specific objectives. For instance, essays require the author to arrive at his or her own opinion over an issue. All the same, all types of academic nursing writing test proficiency on the four types of writing - descriptive, analytical, persuasive and critical. Descriptive writing requires that a nursing student demonstrates his or her proficiency in detailing facts. The instruction on the assignment may guide the student to “identify” or “define”. It is appropriate when detailing the method of collecting data or sharing findings of such an exercise. How is descriptive writing useful in a professional setting? The nurse can use techniques learnt from academia to improve his or her methods of writing down guides or instructions to colleagues and patients respectively and increase the chances of successful treatment outcomes. Analytical writing is required when there is an objective to demonstrate relationship between variables. The relationship could be of any kind. For example, in concept analysis papers a nursing student will have to detail the antecedents and consequences of his or her idea. Analytical writing improves critical thinking skills leading to better decision making in both professional and personal settings. Persuasive writing is another competency that nursing students have to demonstrate in nursing education. It is particularly useful for BSN and postgraduate students who need to develop the capability of not only conceptualizing unique ideas and views but also make strong cases for them. Unfortunately, many students mistakenly believe that there is not room for one’s point of view in academic writing. This is perhaps because of how much the notion that academic writing should be objective has been hammered down. The truth is that there is space in academic papers to include one’s opinion as long as it is developed logically from preceding written material. Last but not least, there is critical writing . It incorporates the techniques or purposes of the aforementioned types of academic nursing writing. A student will have to consider multiple points of views not too dissimilar to the manner one’s own opinion is considered in persuasive writing. A student will also have to be good at descriptive and analytical writing to be objective and single out the relationship between concepts or findings.

Format in Academic Writing

Academic Writing is not complete without format. The formats may seem like unnecessary bureaucracy but they exist because of the time-honored traditions of academic writing and the fact that standardized formats make it easier for anyone to go through an academic nursing writing paper. This has made it easier for information about nursing to be shared across the globe highlighting issues and disseminating new ideas. All academic papers in nursing need to be written using the American Psychological Association (APA) format. It is the format of choice for both natural and social sciences. One of the criteria for APA formatting is to arrange references by the author’s last name and in alphabetical order. Other guidelines include double spacing and use of a size 12 formal style font like “Times New Romans.” Nursing education should also intensify learning on what constitutes the different sections of academic papers. It is not enough to know what section goes where. For instance, the Title and Abstract can be referred to as summary sections. They contain only summarized content which informs a reader what the paper is about. Many students confuse the Abstract with the Introduction section. Do you know what constitutes what? The Abstract is written after all sections of the paper have been completed. It summarizes the purpose, results and conclusion of the particular paper. The Introduction, on the other hand, goes into detail on purpose of the paper as the author develops a justification for writing the paper. Context must also be developed to make justification for the paper clearer.

Best Nursing Writing Services For Nurse Students

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Critical Writing Program: Decision Making - Spring 2024: Academic Sources

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Academic or "scholarly, peer reviewed" articles are written by and further the research of faculty members or scholars, who come from all disciplines and fields. Regardless of the field, academic literature is supported by in depth research, looking at available evidence. That evidence can be textual as in literature, archival and object based as in history and archaeology, observable, or numerical. 

Penn Libraries subscribes to hundreds of databases, which provide access to scholarly articles or to information about those articles. You will engage in different kinds of searches, depending on your research. Often that might include known-item searching (e.g., citation chasing) or database searching with keywords. Commonly, you will use two categories of databases: multi-disciplinary (that cover many disciplines) and discipline-specific (those that focus on one or a small number of closely related fields). 

Known Item Searching

Known-item searching  is working with a specific source -- you have a title and author. When you have this "known item," you may want "chase it."  Citation chasing  can go in two directions -- backwards and forwards. If you have found an article or similar work that is important to your paper you may want to follow up on the scholarship relied on by your author --- this is chasing backwards -- looking at the foundation of the scholarship you are reading. You can also "chase" forward by seeing who has cited your author. This may show you how the research has moved along. Articles+ and Google Scholar are good resources for citation chasing because they have broad disciplinary coverage.

When to use:  When you have found a reference in one of your readings or discussions to an article that sounds as if it might be helpful, you can find out whether others have cited this article using the known item search strategy in Google Scholar. Simply put the title in quotation marks--”Scenarios for Demand Growth of Metals in Electricity Generation,” for example--and Google will show you a “cited by” figure. Clicking on that number will show you all the scholarly articles that cite your author’s article. 

Advantages:

  • Finding out who has cited your article will lead you to more recent articles, which may be related to your topic. It leads you forward in the scholarly conversation. 
  • Seeing how many times your article has been cited gives you an idea of how important it is within the conversation. 
  • Looking at the references within your article helps you understand what kinds of sources and knowledge are fundamental to your author's research.

Disadvantages: 

  • You may need to look through a number of marginally related articles 
  • Those citing the article may disagree with or be citing your article because they question the research
  • Searching backwards may lead you to information that is dated and no longer accurate or accepted.
  • You may discover scholars who disagree with your selected article’s findings or methods, which is valuable information for creating a substantive white paper

Watch a short, 4 minute video on "citation chasing."

Distinguishing Sources

Distinguishing Sources Most academic literature undergoes peer review, which means that peer scholars from the same or closely related disciplines review submitted papers before they are approved for publication. These publications, and their network of citations and research make up a form of conversation among scholars.  Some tips for recognizing academic literature (as opposed to news stories, op-eds, working papers, and grey literature):  

  • Academic articles always have footnotes, endnotes, and/or bibliographies that cite other scholarship. If you don't see some form of citation, it isn't an academic article.
  • Academic articles include information about the authors and their qualifications -- their academic credentials, where they teach or carry out their research, often contact information 
  • The journal publishing the article has an editorial board made up of scholars in the field
  • Your instructors will likely be familiar with the journal and recognize the names of the scholars publishing in that journal 

Grey Literature: Grey literature may not have a specific author and is usually distributed by the organization or entity, which may or may not be a not-for-profit. The organization will have a mission and you can get a feel for their perspective if you read through the mission or "about" pages. Academic literature will always be distributed by a commercial or university press publisher. Much of this literature is made available on the organizations website. See the next tab for more on grey literature.

Using Databases to find Journal Articles

You will search for academic literature in databases . These databases may cover journals from a wide variety of subjects, fields, and disciplines, or they may focus on just one subject area. 

Multi-Discipinary Databases

Multi-Disciplinary Databases   have broad coverage across subject areas and fields of study. These multi-subject databases may include articles from STEM, humanities, and social science fields. Some Examples include: 

  • Articles + Articles+ is the Penn Libraries version of "Google Scholar" search -- it searches most of our subject databses and covers all disciplines. You'll find books, ebooks, book chapters, journal articles, newspaper articles, government publications, grey literature, and more
  • JSTOR A selective collection of academic journals across most disciplines. JSTOR does not always provide the most journal issues. Rely on the other multidisciplinary databases in this list for up-to-date coverage.
  • Academic Search Premier Provides access to more than 8,000 scholarly journals and related periodicals in all scholarly disciplines. You might also be interested in searching Ebsco Mega File , which incorporates material from additional databases and connects to articles dating back to the 19th century.
  • Google Scholar Google Scholar provides links to books and journal articles from scholarly publishers and from educational institutions. Connecting to Google Scholar via Penn’s Library site will take you through the Penn Libraries proxy, unlocking the paywalls that keep non- subscribers from accessing the articles.

When to use: If you find that your results from citation hunting are too narrow, try do the same search in a multi-disciplinary database. This can help you discover new vocabulary and angles on your topic.

Advantages: 

  • You may not know the precise discipline of your topic
  • An interdisciplinary approach may lead you to new insights
  • May reveal that different disciplines approach your topic differently
  • Familiarizes you with the specialized language of different disciplines

Disadvantages:

  • Potentially more difficult to narrow your topic
  • More likely to get irrelevant results

Discipline-Specific Databases

Discipline-specific databases cover the journals, and books within one discipline. You can think of your prospective major as a discipline. A discipline specific database could be devoted to sociology (Sociological Abstracts) or psychology (Psycinfo), history (America: History and Life) or literature (MLA International Bibliography). Talk with your professor or librarian to learn more about databases representing specific fields of study. You can also search through the Penn Libraries' database index . Some examples include:

  • APA PsycInfo The American Psychological Association's comprehensive indexing and abstracting service for the professional and scholarly literature in psychology and related fields. Coverage is worldwide. Sources are in English and over thirty languages.
  • EconLit The American Economic Association's bibliographic database describing the research literature of economics, 1969-present.
  • PubMed Public access version to Medline, the premier database for biomedical literature.
  • ABI/Inform ** Covers a wide range of business publications, including scholarly journals.
  • Business Source Complete ** Content from full-text sources, including academic journals.

** includes non-academic sources like trade journals, industry journals, newspapers, and periodicals.

When to use: One approach is to begin your search in the more specific database and then move to the multi-disciplinary database to compare your results with similar publications from the viewpoint of scholars working in different disciplines.

  • You can search more with fewer terms 
  • Shorter list of sources because the database will be smaller and more focused
  • Subject terms, academic vocabulary will be specific for your topic 
  • Introduces you to the major journals in the discipline
  • Reveals authors in “conversation” with each other, building upon, criticizing, responding to each other’s work 
  • Smaller database means that you will get fewer returns
  • You will need to be familiar with the disciplines' terminology and ways of expressing concepts
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  • Next: Grey Literature >>
  • Last Updated: Feb 15, 2024 12:28 PM
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Plagiarism in nursing education and the ethical implications in practice

An important ethical issue in nursing education continues to be the evolving concerns of plagiarism. Plagiarism presents itself in a variety of different circumstances, which can influence both the classroom and the clinical environment. Nursing educators often struggle with how to handle the impact of plagiarism. This article aims to provide nursing educators with some practical learning strategies and recommendations to address present day plagiarism issues.

1. Introduction

Plagiarism has been recognized as a violation of academic integrity for centuries and continues to be a prominent issue in nursing education. With the internet age and the access to a wealth of information at one's fingertips, plagiarism can easily occur among today's college students ( Price, 2014 ; Smith, 2016b ). Although the incidence of detecting plagiarism has changed over the years, the definition has not. The act of plagiarism has evolved into an important ethical issue in nursing, requiring nursing educators to consider the academic honesty of students who plagiarize. It is not only the act of plagiarism that interests nursing educators, but the possibility of future unethical actions from those who plagiarize intentionally or unintentionally. It is no secret that the professional role of the nurse requires many characteristics such as honesty, integrity, and trustworthiness to name a few ( Price, 2014 ; Smedley et al., 2015 ; Smith, 2016b ). In fact, according to the 2017 Gallup report for the past 16 years, nursing has been ranked the highest among all professions in the areas of honesty and ethics ( Brenan, 2017 ; Moore and Gaviola, 2018 ; Norman, 2016 ).

2. Main text

Plagiarism is not as clear-cut as its definition states. Whether intentional or unintentional, the use of another's words without proper acknowledgment and paraphrasing only covers the surface of the act of plagiarism. Self-plagiarism can be an additional aspect to consider when exploring plagiarism ( Smith, 2016b ; Souza, 2016 ). Further description of this topic within the literature uncovers a more complex process, making the topic one of much debate and concern for both educator and learner. Students may not respect the rules of plagiarism, by either not reading the policies or simply choosing not to adhere to them ( Souza, 2016 ). Adding to the complexity of the issue is the lack of standardization in how educators deal with plagiarism. Often instructors in the same course and the same program will have varied methods in penalties regarding plagiarism. Most institutions of higher learning have well-established policies in place for plagiarism regarding academic integrity; however, various interpretations of plagiarism by both the student and educator make plagiarism a complex issue ( Souza, 2016 ). A review of the literature suggests that plagiarism is indeed perceived differently by students and educators ( Price, 2014 ; Smedley et al., 2015 ). Plagiarism is considered by most educators to be deeply rooted in ethics and morals when committed intentionally ( Smith, 2016b ).

Thornock (2013) studied nursing students and academic integrity. She focused on the classroom as well as the relationship between dishonest acts, such as plagiarism, and patient-centered care. Deterrence of this type of behavior was encouraged early to thwart ethical issues and poor outcomes. Thornock (2013) also addressed the significance of plagiarism in nursing education as a moral concern. She supported the overall goal of the nurse educator in preparing students to provide safe and effective care but sees plagiarism as a potential problem in reaching this goal.

Teaching students the fundamentals of American Psychological Association (APA) formatting is an important step that nursing faculty often neglect. Price (2014) discussed the increase in plagiarism specifically among nursing students. It was noted that increased school pressures felt by students has led to a rise in plagiarism, and the use of plagiarism detection software has made it easy for nursing faculty to detect this growth. Souza (2016) discussed concerns over students who intentionally commit plagiarism and whether they may more likely become a nursing professional that engages in dishonest and unethical acts. Therefore, providing training on what constitutes plagiarism is more than ever encouraged among nursing educators.

Upon entering nursing school, students often are exposed to other forms of referencing styles. One of the potential challenges facing nursing students is the lack of preparation regarding APA formatting style. The magnitude of this is essential for nursing students to understand how its use provides nursing a voice in scientific literature. Resources such as student guides to writing APA papers may provide step-by-step instructions on how to format written work. In addition to guides, most universities have writing centers available to assist students in writing and citing in APA style. This style of writing may be intimidating to students who have not been exposed to it before; which, unfortunately may lead to unintentional plagiarism acts, such as parenthetical citation errors and improper referencing of sources utilized.

A strategy that nursing educators might consider is having beginning nursing students research available resources to aid in APA writing. This might include having assignments, discussion boards, and/or group activities in which students are assigned to visit on-campus and online resources for writing help. Other APA introduction activities might include quizzes to test student knowledge regarding APA basics. These quizzes can provide educators with informal feedback regarding problematic areas for students. Educators thus can promote early intervention or provide additional practice work to help students become more familiar in weak areas.

Another strategy that nursing educators may also find useful is flipped learning. Flipped learning is the process of exposing students to content prior to class and then utilizing class time to deepen one's understanding of the material. This is one learning strategy that lends itself well to educating students on APA style. Educators might consider having students divide into smaller groups and prepare lessons on APA rules and writing guides. These student groups could then provide in-class teaching sessions on the basics of APA style to their peers. Educators may then give students in-class assignments in which they have to work with APA formatting.

Moreover, nursing faculty often have unreal expectations for nursing students who lack APA fundamental skills. Nursing faculty should ask themselves at what level should students be exposed to APA. Alternatively, the working knowledge of APA format on critical assignments should be expected of students throughout the program. One way to assist students is the use of scaffolded learning exercises. Scaffolding in education has its roots deeply embedded in the principles of the zone of proximal development (ZPD) ( Colter and Ulatowski, 2017 ). Through scaffolded learning experiences, educators assist students in the process of learning new tasks and building skill levels. The assistance that an educator provided is continually adjusted and minimized with each phase until the student has reached a level of competency. For example, advanced level nursing students might be assigned to mentor and assist new incoming students with the process of learning APA format. By setting up a peer-to-mentor support network, senior level nursing students are able to assist in reviewing and advising lower classmen in the basic rules of APA style. This provides benefits to both the upper and lower level students. Senior nursing students are required to have a strong foundation in APA style and writing techniques. Furthermore, this gives the beginning student a peer to ask questions of and to review assignments prior to submission.

Educators may also consider activities and assignments that requires students to become familiar with plagiarism detection software like TurnItIn©. Students may be given small written activities to upload into TurnItIn© for the purpose of detecting plagiarism. This will assist students to understand how plagiarism detection software works and how it might be used to screen for plagiarism issues. Another activity that can assist students using a scaffolded learning approach is to allow students to submit their work through a plagiarism detection program as a preliminary check prior to submitting the assignment to the faculty member. The student should then be given the option to view the similarity report in order to learn from their mistakes. This allows the student to see how the plagiarism detection program works and allows them to make adjustments in writing before submitting for a final grade.

An additional aspect of plagiarism education is that students understand the definition of plagiarism. Mastering the ability to paraphrase content is a skill that can be developed and improved upon with experience. Students often think that providing a citation is sufficient to attribute credit, but it is essential that students understand how to paraphrase. Allowing students the opportunity to practice scholarly writing will aid in developing their writing abilities and to help avoid plagiarism.

There are a variety of different ways in which educators can help nursing students come to understand what plagiarism is and the ethical issues surrounding it. This is an excellent time for nursing educators to bridge how ethical concerns surrounding plagiarism may also raise warning flags for students in the clinical environment. The issue of plagiarism plays well into the ethics of a professional nurse. Helping the student to understand the academic penalties of plagiarism is only one aspect. Nursing student must also understand the ethical and moral relationship between professionalism and plagiarism.

The issue of plagiarism not only affects the work students perform in the classroom but also translates over to the clinical environment. Nursing educators are given the responsibility to address plagiarism among their students to help construct future ethical and professional nurses. This act can start in the classroom by teaching how to avoid plagiarism with student assignments, employment applications, and paperwork in the clinical setting ( Smith, 2016a ). Nurses are taught to uphold the professional standards of honesty, integrity, and ethical practice. Ethical behavior will maximize a nurse's quality of patient care ( Smith, 2016b ). The nurse's professional image, seen by the patient population, is further supported by the ability to present and write proficiently in the clinical setting ( Smith, 2016a ).

Student perceptions of plagiarism and academic integrity presented a wakeup call to educators regarding the increased prevalence of plagiarism ( Woith et al., 2012 ). The reputation and integrity of the profession begins in the classroom and extends into the clinical environment. The authors concluded that the implications of dishonesty in the classroom could not be ignored, and that patient safety and outcomes must be considered ( Woith et al., 2012 ). McClung and Schneider (2018) noted that nursing student opinions regarding unethical behavior vary from that of faculty, in both classroom and clinical environments. Students may not link the threat of plagiarism to clinical documentation. The study conclusions are pertinent to nursing faculty and students and indicate the necessity of addressing what is ethical behavior. In doing so, students are less likely to be confused about issues, such as plagiarism, that involve academic honesty and ethical practice ( McClung and Schneider, 2018 ).

There are several ways a nurse can plagiarize in the clinical environment and potentially jeopardize his or her reputation as a professional. For example, using generic nursing notes for every patient is a related issue of false documentation. Another example, a nurse tasked to write policies and procedures can easily copy the digital information from other hospitals without adequately citing the material. Plagiarism seen in nursing clinical documentation or paperwork has some inherent concerns to ethical, legal, professional, and/or financial penalties. The consequences could be detrimental not only to the nurse, but to the clinical facility as well. This may include accusations of professional misconduct, job dismissal, removal of licensure, and/or copyright infringement ( Smith, 2016a ). Considering the detrimental impact that plagiarism can impose on both the nurse and/or facility, echoes the critical topic surrounding plagiarism education in nursing.

The ethical and legal implications of false documentation by using general nursing notes for every patient is a related concern. Electronic health records may also create an environment that lends itself to one size fits all documentation that can be duplicated from patient to patient. Instilling the importance of documenting each patient encounter as true and accurate is critical. Many of the same unintentional acts of plagiarism occurring in the classroom setting can be an issue for students in the clinical setting, involving documentation such as health assessments, health histories, care plans, and concept maps.

With the lack of knowledge involving plagiarism among nursing students, educators may consider the implementation of learning activities, particularly in the first semesters of a nursing program. Concerning clinical issues involving plagiarism, practicum courses in the first year of a nursing program offer an excellent time and setting to discuss the pitfalls of plagiarism in the clinical environment. Threading activities in practicum coursework will allow students an opportunity to understand the link between plagiarism and ethical practice ( Smedley et al., 2015 ). Students may then better understand why plagiarism is important to the profession of nursing. Individual and group activities may be utilized to present information to students. Examples of plagiarism in practice, followed by group discussion is one teaching method. Students may review sample documentation on a patient and then provide documentation in their own words of a similar patient to practice documentation skills. Similar versions of care plans and concept maps can be shared as examples of how easy it is to duplicate work unintentionally while providing pointers on how to prevent this from occurring in the practice setting.

Further examples of activities that explore plagiarism in clinical practice may include the review of SOAP (subjective, objective, assessment, and plan) notes and nursing progress notes. Comparison of students' SOAP notes on different patients will allow students to visualize whether they provide individualized and personal charting on their patients or if it is a ‘one size fits all’ charting style. As students progress through a nursing program SOAP notes may easily and unintentionally become more of a standard form than individualized documentation. Non-individualized patient charting may also be recognized in nursing progress notes when brought to the attention of upperclassmen through activities such as pretend chart audits. Peer chart audits would allow students to review each other's charting and look for self-plagiarism, detect false charting of items that were not actually done, and discover charting that lacks distinction from patient to patient.

Students in their last semester of nursing school may engage in activities of analyzing their fellow classmates charting from a legal document standpoint. Educators may create a scenario in which nursing notes are involved in legal proceedings. This type of activity would involve understanding the importance of the honest and concise manner in which their documentation is written. This type of activity is a good way to remind upcoming graduates of the importance of ethical practice as it pertains to documentation.

3. Conclusions

The act of plagiarism has evolved into an important ethical issue in the nursing classroom. Certainly, literature continues to convey the significance and impact of plagiarism issues for students. Institutions of higher learning continue to implement policies to deter plagiarism; however, the learner's perception of plagiarism is varied as well as the educator's consistency in dealing with it. Practical solutions to the increasing problem of plagiarism involve setting clear parameters regarding plagiarism. Also important is the ability for students to link plagiarism to practice across the classroom and clinical environment. Introducing low stakes assignments early into the nursing curriculum can help foster student learning.

Honesty and ethical standards are important for nursing students to understand, including the act of plagiarism and all of its implications. This worry extends into nursing practice, and places the reputation of nursing as being one of the most trusted professions at risk. The impact plagiarism has on higher education is critical and nursing educators understand if not addressed then unethical behavior may carry over into nursing practice.

Declarations

Author contribution statement.

All authors listed have significantly contributed to the development and the writing of this article.

Funding statement

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Competing interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Additional information

No additional information is available for this paper.

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Academic experts to help craft VCE exams following recent 'stuff-ups' at VCAA

A female student completes her exam using a laptop.

Academic experts will be recruited to help avoid a repeat of embarrassing Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) exam mistakes that caused distress for students sitting their final Year 12 tests, the ABC can reveal.

An investigation into several exam bungles has uncovered a cultural problem at Victoria's Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA), with change required before this year's exams are designed.

Last year's VCE exams were plagued with problems and confusing typos, with several errors in the maths and chemistry exams.

Six students were also given the wrong 2023 Chinese exam , which was leaked online.

Students sit at exam tables, writing in exam papers

Some students were asked to sign a confidentiality agreement but details, including a writing prompt, surfaced on social media.

Victorian Education Minister Ben Carroll ordered an investigation into the series of “stuff-ups” in November and as a result, has not given the VCAA board a pay rise this year.

"That's based on a couple of reasons, this has happened twice now, these errors (in 2022 and 2023) … we have to do better," he said.

"A message is being sent from me as minister that it is unacceptable what these Year 12s went through … and we need to improve our standards at the VCAA."

Experts needed to proofread exams

The report into the exam blunders by the former head of the NSW Education Standards Authority, Dr John Bennett, is expected to be handed to the Victorian government next month.

But the ABC understands it will recommend the VCAA work with maths and science academics when drafting and proofreading exams, to improve quality control before the tests end up on students' desks.

"We are going to see a lot more academic rigour and integrity as part of the exam-writing process," Mr Carroll said.

"We need to bring more people into the tent that are experts in the field, to really help us with the writing of the exam and then go through a more rigorous process to ensure the exam questions are 100 per cent watertight correct."

Ben Carroll

Mr Carroll said he plans to make Dr Bennett's report public and implement all recommendations.

"To the VCAA's defence, obviously these things are held very tightly because these are exams and it's a very serious process," he said.

"By and large there have been human errors, but I do believe we can bring in some of those experts in the field, to really help us.

"But it does go to the importance of the VCAA having really strong governance and structures in place."

Mathematician Marty Ross told the ABC bringing in academic experts was "long overdue".

"I've spent a long time looking at exams and the mathematics exams have been a problem for about 20 years," he said.

"There are a lot of things wrong with the VCE exams but the key for me was the lack of involvement with mathematicians in the process.

"It's a no-brainer for me; mathematicians shouldn't just be checking the exams, they should be involved in writing them too."

Students sit at desks completing their exam on lap tops.

VCAA forced to apologise to students

The VCAA last year apologised to students for the "undue stress" the exam mistakes caused and gave assurances "no student was disadvantaged" by the bungles.

"The VCAA acknowledges that the errors in the 2023 VCE examinations did not meet the standards of the organisation or of students and the community," a VCAA spokesperson said.

"The VCAA is actively working to ensure this year's examination processes are stronger and meet the high standards that we expect."

The authority said it had engaged fully with Dr Bennett and panel members, with the review's findings to be presented to the secretary of the Department of Education in March.

Thousands of VCE students received a bonus point after two errors in the second 2023 general maths exam.

The mistake also led to an apology from Mr Carroll, who said the experience was "traumatic" for students.

Year 12 Corpus Christi College students sit at desks in rows during an exam.

But it's not the first time that exam bungles have been found.

A group of Monash University mathematicians told a Victorian parliamentary inquiry last year, mistakes had been appearing on VCE exams for almost 20 years.

The group wrote an open letter slamming the VCAA following mistakes in the specialist maths, further maths and maths methods tests in 2022, and called for an urgent overhaul of VCE exams.

"All five questions are unacceptably flawed. Each question exhibits some fundamental misunderstanding or misrepresentation of the underlying mathematics," the letter said.

A review into the 2022 exam mistakes completed by Deloitte found there was "room for improvement" in the language used in the exams, but there were no "major mathematical errors" within any of the questions.

In a parliamentary submission, Melbourne teacher John Kermond said student confidence was "severely undermined by the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority's consistent errors and failure to acknowledge them".

"Students' lives are affected by these errors, the students deserve better," the submission said.

"A couple of marks here and there are potentially life-changing."

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