Background: Academic integrity conversations are often emotionally charged for nurse practitioner educators, particularly when learners respond with defensiveness, denial, or distress. These encounters require educators to balance empathy with accountability while upholding institutional standards. Problem: A needs assessment identified educator discomfort when navigating academic integrity discussions, including fear of conflict escalation, learner denial/defensiveness, and uncertainty about language that is both supportive and appropriately corrective. Approach: An interactive educator development session introduced trauma-informed communication principles and restorative language tools applicable to academic integrity conversations. Outcomes: Group-level improvements were most pronounced in knowledge and awareness ( P < .001) and institutional support and application domains ( P < .001). Modest gains were observed in confidence and comfort. Participants continued to report difficulty balancing empathy with accountability. Conclusions: An educational intervention may enhance nurse practitioner educators’ perceived preparedness for academic integrity conversations. Practice-based strategies (eg, role-play, scripting, coached rehearsal) may be needed to address persistent empathy–accountability tensions.
Shay et al. (2026) studied this question.