irony and integrity

I must vent.

Our next assignment has to do with describing the purpose of the nursing profession, highlighting values and ethical principles that are important regarding the nursing profession. In this essay we are to give an example of how these values or principles apply to a certain action, and contrast that action with another important value. We are also supposed to contrast nursing with another helping profession, and its purpose and/or values. I'm so mad I'm probably not making much sense. It's ok, the assignment has had many people confused anyway.

Originally I was going to use integrity and the opposing value would have been timeliness. An example would be making a mistake that needs reporting. If you value integrity you will report the mistake no matter what. If you value timeliness you may forego reporting, especially if there were not any ill consequences suffered due to the mistake, in an effort to save time.

I discussed this with another student yesterday, after she had told me about her essay. She said her value was equality. She was having a lot of trouble discerning if her essay was appropriate per the assignment or not.

Fast forward to today, I talk to this other student, whom I consider a friend, and she informs me she rewrote her paper, using integrity as her value.

I was definitely taken aback by this admission, but she went on to say how she'd been inspired and how it gave her clarity as to what the assignment was supposed to be about.

Since hanging up and thinking about this I have come to the conclusion that it really does irritate me. I would never take another person's idea and make it my own...never. It wouldn't matter how tempting it was.

I dunno, to me it's a matter of integrity.