Promoting integrity among nursing students.

Unethical practices among college students are concerning for any profession, but especially for nursing because these students will become health care providers after graduation. Studies have found correlations between unethical practices as a student with future professional behavior; therefore, it is important to instill a sense of ethics in all nursing students. Honor codes facilitate communication about behavioral expectations between faculty and students and emphasize the importance of ethical behavior. The HIRRE (honesty, integrity, respect, responsibility, and ethics) program at Pasco-Hernando Community College is an example of a modified honor code. Through the use of faculty and student situation reports, this program has enabled faculty to monitor the integrity status of the nursing program and establish policy protocols for unethical behaviors.