Nurse educators fiduciary and professional obligations

Nurse Pathways

Nurse educators (including those holding Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) or Master’s degrees) are not automatically cleared from fiduciary and professional obligations regarding fair and transparent testing even if the institution withholds access to exam results or rationales. Here's why they retain accountability and potential liability under relevant professional, ethical, and regulatory standards:

1. Fiduciary Duty of Nurse Educators

Nurse educators owe a fiduciary duty to their students, which includes ensuring the education provided prepares them adequately for licensure and safe nursing practice. This duty exists regardless of their direct control over institutional policies such as withholding test results or rationales.

Key Points:

Advocacy Role: Nurse educators are expected to act in the best interests of their students by:

Ensuring exams and assessments are fair, valid, and aligned with NCLEX standards.

Identifying and addressing any systemic issues that create unnecessary barriers for students.

Non Delegable Duty: A fiduciary duty to students cannot be waived or absolved simply because the institution (nursing school) withholds information about exams or creates policies outside the educators’ direct control.

2. Professional and Ethical Accountability

Educators remain accountable under national and state standards, which explicitly require them to uphold fairness, transparency, and ethical testing practices.

A. National Standards

1. National League for Nursing (NLN) Competencies for Nurse Educators:

Nurse educators are responsible for ensuring that assessments are:

Valid and Reliable: Exams must measure what they claim to measure and be consistent in their application.

Supportive of Student Outcomes: Policies that unfairly disadvantage students (e.g., misaligned or overly rigid benchmarks) violate these competencies.

2. American Nurses Association (ANA) Code of Ethics for Nurses:

Provision 6: Nurses must maintain an ethical work and educational environment. Failing to report or address barriers that negatively impact students’ ability to graduate and practice safely is unethical.

Provision 7: Nurses, including educators, have a responsibility to advance the profession through ethical and effective education.