Have you ever cheated?

Nursing Students General Students

Published

Have you ever cheated in school ? Would you ever cheat if you could get away with it?

Cheating - copying stuff that's not yours - tests, homework, projects and/or other assignments.

Scenario 1:

While taking an exam, your professor left the classroom. You're seated beside a straight-A student. Would you peak to that student's paper? (Note: You can get away with it! You will not get caught!)

Scenario 2:

Your teacher is in the classroom giving a final exam. You are allowed to use your cellphone as a calculator. You are using an iPhone and can access the internet. Would you look into Google to find the answer to a question you do not know?

So, does anyone of you ever cheated in nursing school? at least once or maybe a lot of times? Could you share some of your experiences if you got caught or if you got away with it? Did you feel bad/guilty about it afterward? :rolleyes:

I'm just curious, so please don't think that this thread is offensive in anyway. I have to admit that I cheated before. I copied someone's homework, I looked into my seatmates' test paper. I wrote some medical dosages' formula in my desk. :devil:

There's also this cliche that goes "When you cheat, you're really cheating yourself." I say this is BS - especially in school. Tuition nowadays is over the top particularly nursing. Not to mention how hard it is to get in into the damn program. :uhoh3:

So insights? :D

Well I guess I will be the first to respond.....First off if you will cheat in school what is gonna stop you from taking short cuts or the "easy way" in your nursing career. Nursing deals with life and death...one wrong move and you would be responsible for someone's death. Nursing School is HARD but if it wasn't just anyone could be a nurse. I feel that NURSING is a "calling" either you have the love and compassion to care for the sick or you don't. I know a few Nurses now that are just in it "for the money" and THAT IS THE WRONG REASON TO GO INTO THIS NOBLE PROFESSION"....now this is my own opinion and I am not bashing anyone. As for the question of cheating..:spbox:.NO I have not and I NEVER will because It is wrong for one:nono: and the other I have not put all these years in school for nothing just to be kicked out over something like that. I study hard and work for every grade I get. I also believe what is done in the dark eventually come to the light so do not think you will get away with it....sooner or later it WILL be found out ....TRUST:twocents:

There's also this cliche that goes "When you cheat, you're really cheating yourself." I say this is BS - especially in school. Tuition nowadays is over the top particularly nursing. Not to mention how hard it is to get in into the damn program. :uhoh3:

First off, I don't cheat. I work very hard for my grades and am perfectly willing to help a fellow student to learn the material, but would never simply let someone copy my work. I find that teaching someone else really cements a concept in my mind, so I'm happy to work with someone who is struggling.

But, what I'm curious about is why you think it's "BS" that you are cheating yourself. What does the cost of tuition or how difficult it is to get into a program have to do with whether it's okay to cheat? You are not paying for a degree, you are paying for an education. Most higher education is very expensive and just because you are paying doesn't mean that you have a right to that diploma. You have to work for it and if you don't, you are cheating not only yourself, but potentially your patients. When you go to take your NCLEX, you won't be able to look at your neighbor's paper or write your formulae on the desk. If you cheat your way through NS, you might graduate and receive your degree, but you are going to have a difficult time actually obtaining a license.

Anyway, I just don't see how a program that is difficult to get into or expensive makes it okay to cheat. And, believe me - your classmates will know. And people who would normally be happy to help you improve and get through a topic you're having trouble with will leave you hanging if they believe that you don't belong there and are only there because you cheat.

Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.

It's hard to think back that far but I am sure in JHS or HS I cheated at one time or another by copying a friends homework. Never did on tests, I was way to scared of getting caught, but now and again on HW I am sure I did.

College, Nope I can say I never have and I can say I wouldn't. I also can't find any sort of justification for it. (not that I justify it in my teens, my thought process was just different back then and I was very anti homework. I felt it was inhumane. lol).

I agree that it doesn't help you at all to cheat. Nursing is a job that you have to use brain power for and have to know whats going on and how to think etc. etc.

Specializes in ED/TELE.

But, what I'm curious about is why you think it's "BS" that you are cheating yourself. What does the cost of tuition or how difficult it is to get into a program have to do with whether it's okay to cheat? You are not paying for a degree, you are paying for an education. Most higher education is very expensive and just because you are paying doesn't mean that you have a right to that diploma. You have to work for it and if you don't, you are cheating not only yourself, but potentially your patients. When you go to take your NCLEX, you won't be able to look at your neighbor's paper or write your formulae on the desk. If you cheat your way through NS, you might graduate and receive your degree, but you are going to have a difficult time actually obtaining a license.

Well Said!!

To the OP - I pray that I never have you or someone of you ilk as my nurse!! Having been cheated off of before, nothing angers me more. I work my ass for my A's and how dare someone steal my hard work! And if I caught you cheating off me I wouldn't think twice about turning you in. You may want to consider the cost of getting caught since you're so concerned with how expensive your education is. If you were expelled for cheating, now that really would be like throwing money out the window. I think if you go into nursing with this attitude, you're eventually going to flounder b/c your coworkers are going to get sick of carrying you. You need to grow up and start taking some personal responsibility.

Have you ever cheated in school ? Would you ever cheat if you could get away with it?

Cheating - copying stuff that's not yours - tests, homework, projects and/or other assignments.

Scenario 1:

While taking an exam, your professor left the classroom. You're seated beside a straight-A student. Would you peak to that student's paper? (Note: You can get away with it! You will not get caught!)

Scenario 2:

Your teacher is in the classroom giving a final exam. You are allowed to use your cellphone as a calculator. You are using an iPhone and can access the internet. Would you look into Google to find the answer to a question you do not know?

So, does anyone of you ever cheated in nursing school? at least once or maybe a lot of times? Could you share some of your experiences if you got caught or if you got away with it? Did you feel bad/guilty about it afterward? :rolleyes:

I'm just curious, so please don't think that this thread is offensive in anyway. I have to admit that I cheated before. I copied someone's homework, I looked into my seatmates' test paper. I wrote some medical dosages' formula in my desk. :devil:

There's also this cliche that goes "When you cheat, you're really cheating yourself." I say this is BS - especially in school. Tuition nowadays is over the top particularly nursing. Not to mention how hard it is to get in into the damn program. :uhoh3:

So insights? :D

Wondering if this is just a troll, mostly because I can't imagine someone really feels this way.

Oh and when you cheat you're cheating your future patients.....because the "A student" won't be sitting next to you when your patient crumps....you're going to have to come up with the information all by yourself...well, or not and you're patient pays the price. I wonder how much their family will care about how much your tuition cost, or how hard it was to get into the program?

Needless to say, no, I've never cheated. Truly, I'd rather fail an exam than get a 100% by cheating.

Specializes in LTC.

I've cheated once. It was in micro, I plagarized an essay. However, I felt so guilty for cheating that I told my instructor the very next day. She was so proud of me for admitting to cheating. she even gave me some points. After that I never cheated again. I never cheated in ns.

Just to emphasize that you could get away with it. It's like waiting for the walk signal when crossing the street. You know you will not get caught jaywalking. So, you cross the street even though, it's illegal to do so. Or perhaps, you're driving on a 30mph speed limit highway and you know there's no cop patrolling around. Would you at least speed up a little?

Now, my question is: Would you cheat or copy someone's note/answer if you know there is no way - 100% ZERO chance that you would get caught.

I have to say I am surprised that nobody ever copied someone's homework. This is not just for the clinicals alone. The basic courses are involve like Basic math, English, history, or any other easy courses.

Thanks to those who posted. I knew honest people exist somewhere! ;)

Just to emphasize that you could get away with it. It's like waiting for the walk signal when crossing the street. You know you will not get caught jaywalking. So, you cross the street even though, it's illegal to do so. Or perhaps, you're driving on a 30mph speed limit highway and you know there's no cop patrolling around. Would you at least speed up a little?

Now, my question is: Would you cheat or copy someone's note/answer if you know there is no way - 100% ZERO chance that you would get caught.

I have to say I am surprised that nobody ever copied someone's homework. This is not just for the clinicals alone. The basic courses are involve like Basic math, English, history, or any other easy courses.

Thanks to those who posted. I knew honest people exist somewhere! ;)

Not sure why you feel the need to further explain. I understood the first time.

No, not even if I was 100% sure I wouldn't be caught. The point of school isn't grades, it's for me to learn how to take care of people who might be very ill. The grades only measure my competence at learning the material. Cheating wouldn't lead me toward my goal, it will only put me in situations where I might not know what I need to know to help someone......or worse, situations where my lack of knowledge could lead to me hurting someone.

There is no positive to cheating through nursing school.

No, I've never cheated in a gen ed class either. I know the material or I don't, I really would rather fail than cheat.

Specializes in CTICU.
Thanks to those who posted. I knew honest people exist somewhere! ;)

Hang on, are you suggesting the people who admitted cheating are the "honest people"?

Hell no, I wouldn't cheat because it's more work than just studying... I don't need to cheat.

[quote=JustYouWait

Thanks to those who posted. I knew honest people exist somewhere! ;)"

So, you think people who don't admit to cheating aren't honest? Odd logic. It's people like you, who seem blithe about academic dishonesty, that make me wonder if honest people exist. I haven't cheated on anything as an adult - I pay for my education, and enjoy the content of what I'm learning. Like Curious Me said so well, our knowledge deficiencies can hurt someone who depends on us.

Not sure why you feel the need to further explain. I understood the first time.

No, not even if I was 100% sure I wouldn't be caught. The point of school isn't grades, it's for me to learn how to take care of people who might be very ill. The grades only measure my competence at learning the material. Cheating wouldn't lead me toward my goal, it will only put me in situations where I might not know what I need to know to help someone......or worse, situations where my lack of knowledge could lead to me hurting someone.

There is no positive to cheating through nursing school.

No, I've never cheated in a gen ed class either. I know the material or I don't, I really would rather fail than cheat.

Kudos to you CuriousMe for being honest. I had to further explain my post since I saw some people saying the "If you get caught..." "getting expelled.." thing.

When I took A&P II last spring, I had this classmate who's really smart. Believe me, she really knows her stuff and every time our professor asks a question, she would be the first to answer it - literally. I really admired her for being so smart. I was beside her during our second practical on our lab, and to my surprise she started asking me if I knew the answer to one of the bones. I was speechless and didn't bother giving her my answer, due to the fact that I was scared that I might get caught. She still got 94. I asked her why she asking me and she told me that she wanted to get 100. She got in the program in a local CC. I wonder what happened to her. She almost cheated! She should thank me for not letting her though. ;) Just sharing this story to you guys. :p

Hang on, are you suggesting the people who admitted cheating are the "honest people"?

Hell no, I wouldn't cheat because it's more work than just studying... I don't need to cheat.

Hey bud, I was referring to those people who do not cheat. ever. They are the honest ones. :)

*Note: I am NOT encouraging anyone to cheat. We have our own reasons and opinions about cheating. So, please don't judge me or other people who have tried doing it. ;) Copying someone's answer doesn't mean you're going to cheat for the rest of your career. Nobody graduates if all they do is cheating. nobody.

+ Add a Comment