Why Nursing Students Cheat and What Educators Can Do to Strengthen Authentic Learning

This article is adapted from the State of Nursing Education, the authoritative ATI series examining key issues affecting today’s academic nursing programs, deans and faculty. State of Nursing Education content reflects extensive research, evidence, and interviews, with perspectives from nursing industry leaders. To read more from the series, click here.

Academic misconduct doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Cheating isn’t an ambiguous act with no clear reasons as to why it does or does not happen. On the contrary, five distinct pressures are always pushing your students to cheat and putting additional strain on your academic integrity policies.

These stressors affect the student experience. They are confined to each person’s academic struggles and are often hidden from educators and administrators—at least until it’s too late. These stressors are also precursors to cheating. In fact, academic misconduct and AI misuse are on the rise, and external pressures are a big reason why.¹

Healthcare can’t suffer such dishonesty, and nursing programs must be part of the solution. At the same time, understanding comes before action.

“It's important to understand the various factors that cause our students to make those decisions,” said Jake Ritz, Director of Exam Security and Incident Investigation for Ascend Learning. ATI is an Ascend Learning brand. “Ultimately, that's the only way we can really address them appropriately.”

So, what are the factors that influence poor decision making? Specialized surveys and systematic reviews have captured the feedback of thousands of nursing students and nursing instructors. The results are clear: Many divergent forces are pushing your students toward academic dishonesty.

How the Cheating Landscape Is Changing

When new behaviors or new technologies create new ways to cheat, it doesn’t often replace previous behaviors. In most cases, it simply enhances or expands on options that already exist.

AI abuse doesn’t erase traditional cheating methods, and online learning doesn’t remove the human element from integrity violations. Contract cheating services and assessment sharing are still significant problems for nursing education. Online learning and AI usage are augmenting what was already possible and introducing many new “gray areas” for potential misconduct.

The fact that this generation views “AI-assisted work” as completely distinct from cheating is proof that the landscape has changed. In 2025, over 70% of nursing students and nurse educators demonstrated high levels of AI awareness.⁵ Today, that number is likely even higher.

For nursing education, the distinction between authentic learning and academic misconduct is critical. As such, the goal isn't simply to prevent cheating, but also to ensure that every future nurse develops the knowledge, judgment, and clinical reasoning necessary to serve their patients.

What Is Authentic Learning?

Authentic learning is the process of acquiring knowledge, developing competency, and demonstrating performance through genuine effort and engagement. It requires students to think critically, apply what they know, learn from mistakes, and receive accurate feedback about their progress. In short, authentic learning ensures that educational outcomes reflect actual understanding rather than an appearance of proficiency.

Academic integrity protects authentic learning. When assessments, simulations, and clinical experiences accurately reflect student performance, it has a positive impact on the entire system:

• Educators gain a clear picture of cohort competency.
• Students get an accurate idea of what they still need to learn.
• Programs gain greater confidence in educational outcomes.
• Future patients benefit from nurses whose skills have been genuinely developed and demonstrated.

Why Is Authentic Learning So Critical to Nursing?

Nursing is a practice discipline. Unlike less immediate and hands-on careers, nursing requires both knowledge and successful application. It isn’t enough to know the signs and symptoms of sepsis. A nurse needs to know how to recognize a deteriorating patient and prioritize interventions in real time.

Such practical mastery is only possible with authentic learning experiences, and shortcuts undermine future confidence and create crucial gaps in knowledge. Eventually, those gaps get tangled up in real-world decisions, and the consequences are real patient outcomes.

Did you know that self-confidence is one of the most significant factors for success in future nurses?⁶ It’s because all healthcare workers share a similarly significant duty to their communities. Now, it’s time for programs, faculty, and students to share that responsibility by safeguarding authentic learning experiences.

ATI and a Shared Sense of Academic Integrity

Technology isn’t slowing down. The struggle to deliver and experience authentic learning will only grow more complicated. That’s why a shared sense of academic integrity and a culture that takes action to prevent misconduct will become the hallmark of the most successful nursing education programs.

For many programs, this is where third-party experts like ATI can be such a game changer.

Programs need to offer opportunities—not just rules enforcement. They need to prevent misconduct instead of simply responding to it. And programs need to treat academic honesty as a prerequisite to long-term professionalism.

To put it simply, nurses need authentic learning, and the world needs authentic nurses. Where does it all start? The academic integrity of today’s nursing programs.

References

1. Chirikov I, Smirnov I, Kizilcec RF. Generative AI use and misuse call for assessment reform in higher education. Science. 2026;392(6800):818-820. doi:10.1126/science.aec5115
2. Wiley. New Insights Into Academic Integrity: 2022 Update. Wiley; 2022. https://www.wileyplus.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/academic-integrity-infographic-Wiley.pdf
3. Nortes I, Fierz K, Goddiksen MP, Johansen MW. Academic integrity among nursing students: a survey of knowledge and behavior. Nursing Ethics. 2024;31(4):553-571. doi:10.1177/09697330231200568
4. Digital Education Council. Digital Education Council Global AI Student Survey 2024: AI or Not AI: What Students Want. Digital Education Council; 2024. https://www.digitaleducationcouncil.com/resource-library-items/digital-education-council-global-ai-student-survey-2024 
5. El-Banna MM, Sajid MR, Rizvi MR, Sami W, McNelis AM. AI literacy and competency in nursing education: preparing students and faculty members for an AI-enabled future—a systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Medicine. 2025;12. doi:10.3389/fmed.2025.1681784
   
6. Alhowaymel FM, Saleh MSM, Taref NN, Abd-Elhamid ZN, Abaoud AF, Alenezi A, Fathi RH, Elsabahy HE. Empowering Future Nurses: Enhancing Self-Efficacy, Satisfaction, and Academic Achievement Through Talent Management Educational Intervention. BMC Nursing. 2025;24:875. doi:10.1186/s12912-025-03512-z