Alisha Bhimani alisha.bhimani@emory.edu
Chantal Rodriguez csrodr2@emory.edu
Anika Ampadu (alternate) aampadu@emory.edu
Hannah Heimbigner hheimbi@emory.edu
Jamesa Hines jhines4@emory.edu
Laila Nurani laila.k.nurani@emory.edu
Catherine Vaughn catherine.danielle.vaughn@emory.edu
Martha Hummer martha.hummer@emory.edu
Domoneek McCoy domoneek.mccoy@emory.edu
Macie Lunyong m.j.lunyong@emory.edu
MSN
Anna Sciortino anna.sciortino@emory.edu
Andrea Barrington andrea.barrington@emory.edu
Charlotte Bobbitt charlotte.bobbitt@emory.edu
PhD
Alexis Dunn alexis.b.dunn@emory.edu
Susan Brasher, susan.n.brasher@emory.edu
Michael Conti, michael.e.conti@emory.edu
Erin Ferranti, epoe@emory.edu
Jennifer Foster jwfoste@emory.edu
Carolyn Reilly, cmill02@emory.edu
Suzanne Staebler, suzanne.staebler@emory.edu
Jeannie Weston, eghjhb@emory.edu
Ann Rogers ann.e.rogers@emory.edu, Co-chair
Judith Wold, Chair jwold@emory.edu
Catherine I. Vena cvena@emory.edu, Chair
Conduct with respect to nursing students can be considered under two general headings: academic and professional. Misconduct involves a violation of academic or professional principles as viewed by students, faculty, and colleagues. Violations within these areas will be processed by the Honor Council without regard to the sex, race, color, national or ethnic origin, age, veteran status, or disability of any of the participants.
Academic Misconduct
Academic misconduct is an offense generally defined as any action or inaction that is offensive to the integrity and honesty of the members of the academic community. This offense includes, but is not limited to, the following:
(a) Seeking, acquiring, receiving, or giving information about the conduct of an exam knowing that the release of such information has not been authorized;
(b) Plagiarizing;
(c) Seeking, using, giving, or obtaining unauthorized assistance or information in any academic assignment or examination;
(d) Intentionally giving false information to professors or instructors for the purpose of gaining academic advantage;
(e) Breach of any duties prescribed by this Code;
(f) Intentionally giving false evidence in any Honor Council hearing or refusing to give evidence when requested by the Honor Council.
Violation of Professional Ethics
Any action by students indicating dishonesty or lack of integrity in professional matters is considered a violation of professional ethics.* Actions of this nature should be reported to the Honor Council chair who will seek consultation with the dean if there is a question of whether the alleged infraction is in the purview of this Council. (*See Code of Ethics for Nursing Students, NSNA)
Suspected violations should be reported to any one of the Honor Council members. This can be done via e-mail, in person, or in writing.
Any student and/or faculty within the School of Nursing can report suspected violations to the Honor Council.
All statements and any written materials used during the course of a hearing shall remain confidential information unless needed for implementation of recommendation and with the knowledge and permission of the accused. At the conclusion of each hearing where there is adjudged guilt, all related materials must be sealed and filed in the locked file of the dean for a period of not less than five (5) years. Any notations pertaining to the misconduct or the related proceedings on the official student record shall be left to the discretion of the Honor Council and the dean. Also in the instance where there is no adjudged guilt all related materials must be sealed and filed in the locked file of the dean for a period of not less than five (5) years.
After the hearing, the Honor Council shall promptly prepare a concise, but thorough, written summary of pertinent evidence and facts shall be transmitted to the dean of the Nursing School with the accompanying recommendation together with all documentary and physical evidence before the Council. The dean may impose the sanction(s) recommended or sanction(s) of greater or lesser severity. After receipt of the summary, the student shall be promptly notified by the dean in writing of his or her decision and the sanction(s) imposed.
Please direct any questions regarding the Honor Code and violations to the members of the Honor Council.
To be considered for membership on the Honor Council, a student must be in good academic standing, that is, not on academic probation, and display qualities of honesty, integrity, and maturity. It is recommended that candidates have an interest in dealing with ethical issues, possess an ability to work under pressure, and be willing to commit time as required by the Council. The qualifications shall be read before any election of Council Representatives.
Revised 2001
The following Code of Academic and Clinical Conduct was proposed and adopted by National Student Nurses' Association, Inc. at their 49th Annual Convention in Nashville, TN.
Preamble
Students of nursing have a responsibility to society in learning the academic theory and clinical skills needed to provide nursing care. The clinical setting presents unique challenges and responsibilities while caring for human beings in a variety of health care environments.
The Code of Academic and Clinical Conduct is based on an understanding that to practice nursing as a student is an agreement to uphold the trust with which society has placed in us. The statements of the Code provide guidance for the nursing student in the personal development of an ethical foundation and need not be limited strictly to the academic or clinical environment but can assist in the holistic development of the person.
A Code for Nursing Students
As students are involved in the clinical and academic environments we believe that ethical
principles are a necessary guide to professional development. Therefore within these
environments we:
• Advocate for the rights of all clients.
• Maintain client confidentiality.
• Take appropriate action to ensure the safety of clients, self, and others.
• Provide care for the client in a timely, compassionate and professional manner.
• Communicate client care in a truthful, timely and accurate manner.
• Actively promote the highest level of moral and ethical principles and accept responsibility for our actions.
• Promote excellence in nursing by encouraging lifelong learning and professional development.
• Treat others with respect and promote an environment that respects human rights, values and choice of cultural and spiritual beliefs.
• Collaborate in every reasonable manner with the academic faculty and clinical staff to ensure the highest quality of client care.
• Use every opportunity to improve faculty and clinical staff understanding of the learning needs of nursing students.
• Encourage faculty, clinical staff, and peers to mentor nursing students.
• Refrain from performing any technique or procedure for which the student has not been adequately trained.
• Refrain from any deliberate action or omission of care in the academic or clinical setting that creates unnecessary risk of injury to the client, self, or others.
• Assist the staff nurse or preceptor in ensuring that there is full disclosure and that proper authorizations are obtained from clients regarding any form of treatment or research.
• Abstain from the use of alcoholic beverages or any substances in the academic and clinical setting that impair judgment.
• Strive to achieve and maintain an optimal level of personal health.
• Support access to treatment and rehabilitation for students who are experiencing impairments related to substance abuse and mental or physical health issues.
• Uphold school policies and regulations related to academic and clinical performance, reserving the right to challenge and critique rules and regulations as per school grievance policy.
Bill of Rights and Responsibilities
• Students should be encouraged to develop the capacity for critical judgment and engage in a sustained and independent search for truth.
• The freedom to teach and the freedom to learn are inseparable facets of academic freedom: students should exercise their freedom with responsibility.
• Each institution has a duty to develop policies and procedures which provide and safeguard the students’ freedom to learn.
• Under no circumstances should students be barred from admission to a particular institution on the basis of race, creed, sex, color, national origin, disability, or marital status.
• Students should be free to take reasoned exception to the data or views offered in any course of study and to reserve judgment about matters of opinion, but they are responsible for learning the content of any course of study for which they are enrolled.
• Students should have protection through orderly procedures against prejudiced or capricious academic evaluation, but they are responsible for maintaining standards or academic performance established for each course in which they are enrolled.
• Information about student views, beliefs, and political associations that instructors acquire in the course of their work should be considered confidential and not released without the knowledge or consent of the student.
• The student should have the right to have a responsible voice in the determination of his/her curriculum.
• Institutions should have a carefully considered policy as to the information that should be a part of a student’s permanent educational record and as to the conditions of this disclosure.
• Students and student organizations should be free to examine and discuss all questions of interest to them, and to express opinions publicly and privately.
• Students should be allowed to invite and to hear any person of their own choosing, thereby taking the responsibility of furthering their education.
• The student body should have clearly defined means to participate in the formulation and application of institutional policy affecting academic and student affairs.
• The institution has an obligation to clarify those standards of behavior that it considers essential to its educational mission and its community life. • Disciplinary proceedings should be instituted only for violations of standards of conduct formulated with significant student participation and published in
advance through such means as a student handbook or a generally available body of institutional regulations. It is the responsibility of the student to know these regulations. Grievance procedures should be available for every student.
• As citizens and members to an academic community, students are subject to the obligations that accrue them by virtue of this membership and should enjoy the same freedoms of citizenship.
• Students have the right to belong or refuse to belong to any organization of their choice.
• Students have the right to personal privacy in their living space to the extent that the welfare of others is respected.
• Adequate safety precautions should be provided by Schools of Nursing, for example, to and from student dorms, adequate street lighting, locks, etc.
• Dress code, if present in school, should be established by student government in conjunction with the school director and faculty, so the highest professional standards possible are maintained, but also taking into consideration points of comfort and practicality for the student.
• Grading systems should be carefully reviewed periodically with students and faculty for clarification and better student-faculty understanding. The Bill of Rights and Responsibilities for Students of Nursing. National Student Nurses’ Association, New York, 1978.
