Needing advice with a plagiarizing incident

Students Post Graduate

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  • Specializes in Family Medicine, Tele/Cardiac, Camp.

Hi guys. I'm hoping some of you could share some thoughts or insight you might have over a situation that I experienced about a month ago. So I'm in my first semester of my MSN/FNP program and there is one class that I enjoy very much and do very well in. It has to do with family counseling by the APN.

We had assignment a month ago where we were to do reading in our text, read an additional article, attend a seminar/lecture outside of class and post an online assignment applying a form of family counseling to a particular family-in-need scenario.

I worked really hard on my assignment. It took me a long time to read the article, I went to the lecture even though I was extremely sick, and I came up with some new insight in the course of my writing. I was very proud of my work. I'm a good student and it's very satisfying for me to know that I'm doing well in what I initially considered to be a very difficult course.

Except, lo and behold, an hour and a half after I posted another woman in my class posted basically my own response. She used the same quotes, the same authors, and my own ORIGINAL concepts. Sure, she changed a few things around, but you know when someone is trying to re-word something and it comes out different but so different the meaning changes because they don't even know what they're trying to say? Yeah. So I was very very upset. Furious actually.

I wrote my professor an email and I managed to catch her in her office and she said she would speak to the student. During my last class, the student SAT RIGHT NEXT TO ME and proceeded to make chit-chat, complement me on my hair, etc. She has never even spoken to me before. I was still really angry and thanked her for the complement, but was really cold to her and basically ignored her the rest of the class.

I guess my question is, should I talk to her? I feel like I left this in my professor's hands, but I had hoped to hear back. I wrote my professor again, kinda saying "I'm not asking to know about the outcome (ie, did the student get a failing grade)" just if the professor ever looked at the assignment and looked into the matter.

I'm waiting to hear back, but it's eating me up inside. Usually I can calmly approach someone if they've done something to upset me, but I'm just so livid every time I see this student that I haven't said anything. For one, I don't know if I should, and secondly I'm afraid that if I do I'll just end up biting her head off. :/

Thoughts? Thanks for reading and any input you might have.

babyNP., APRN

1,922 Posts

Specializes in NICU.

yeeesh.

Sounds like she's feeling guilty.

I would ask her, "What did you think of that last assignment? I worked really hard on mine! Have you heard from Professor X about yours yet?"

llg, PhD, RN

13,469 Posts

Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

Ask the professor if she ever followed-up. As the "injured party," you are entitled to know that your interests were given appropriate attention. You don't need to know the details of how they handled the other student, but you are entitled to know that the person who stole your work was dealt with.

As for the other student herself ... don't be a drama queen about it. This isn't middle school. Of course you should talk to her if she says something to you. But you don't have to become her friend. Be polite, but brief. Take the "high road" and be generous and forgiving, if asked to be so. She knows ...that YOU know ... and that should be enough.

If your professor did not follow-up on your complaint, take it to the next step up the ladder in a professional way.

caliotter3

38,333 Posts

You reported it to the instructor. It is now up to her. I would let the matter alone unless you are penalized. Then I would raise holy you-know-what.

babyNP., APRN

1,922 Posts

Specializes in NICU.
Ask the professor if she ever followed-up. As the "injured party," you are entitled to know that your interests were given appropriate attention. You don't need to know the details of how they handled the other student, but you are entitled to know that the person who stole your work was dealt with.

As for the other student herself ... don't be a drama queen about it. This isn't middle school. Of course you should talk to her if she says something to you. But you don't have to become her friend. Be polite, but brief. Take the "high road" and be generous and forgiving, if asked to be so. She knows ...that YOU know ... and that should be enough.

If your professor did not follow-up on your complaint, take it to the next step up the ladder in a professional way.

I guess I have a lower tolerance for someone who cheats using my work. That people can be so low to do that sort of thing makes me so irritated. And the fact that this cheater tried to be all "we're friends, totally awesome!" attitude would get a knee-jerk reaction out of me to put them in their place. Can you tell this has happened to me before?

You're probably right though. Time to be a grown-up.

llg, PhD, RN

13,469 Posts

Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

It would bother the H*** out of me, too. But yes, sometimes you have to be a grown-up and keep the hissy fits to ourselves.

SHGR, MSN, RN, CNS

1 Article; 1,406 Posts

Specializes in nursing education.

Since the online postings show what time they were posted, you basically have proof. We had to sign something saying that plagiarism is not tolerated. So, you reported her, you did your part. I still woudn't befriend her- you don't owe her a thing.

SnowShoeRN

468 Posts

Specializes in Family Medicine, Tele/Cardiac, Camp.

Thanks for your input, everyone. I think I'm mainly afraid that I'll be put in a situation in the future and I'll be FORCED to work with her, you know? I'm sure I'll eventually cool down. I actually consider myself to be a generally very forgiving person. But I am STILL mad and I think I have every right to be. And I think that's why I *haven't* spoken to her. I don't *want* to be a drama queen about it. If I end up talking to her about it (which I don't think I'll do unless she asks me about it directly), I want to be civil. And I'm just not there yet.

Thanks again.

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