Cheating in nursing school

[direw0lf]

Myself and 4 other students saw cheating. It was reported to the dean, advisors, the director and the teacher was supposed to be notified. Nothing was done.

We take our exams online on our laptops and during the midterm two students had Google up searching for the answers. One also had her class power points up. These students received a 98 on their exams. It's really easy to look up and see this in front of you especially when you hear typing and not the clicking a multiple choice answer.

I wasnt actually the one who initially reported it but I did tell my advisor. What bothers me isn't that they even cheated exactly. Hard to explain but what bothers me is that the school was notified and no action taken. Like what is all this talk of integrity and doing the right things if the school doesn't uphold to that and allows cheating.

I understand one word against another and no proof too. Just I thought there'd be some acknowledgment to the class as a whole or change in test taking.

Not going to let this bother me much, I was just disappointed at the school ignoring it.

Do you see cheating in your nursing program?

[Jules A, MSN]

I'm not certain the repercussions fall solely within the instructor's power as some have posted. No clue how it went in my school but as an instructor I do know there is extreme pressure to keep all our little darlings happy and to jump through whatever mediation hoops necessary to graduate everyone who can fog up a mirror held under their nose. I'm guessing it is a combination of our litigious society, the school's business model and that everyone is now considered a "winner" and we surely can't destroy the delusions they have held so closely for the past 20 years. Said only minimally tongue in cheek.

[BeachsideRN, ASN]

As long as you reported what you saw you did your due diligence. It's out of your control now

[Shawn91111]

Never bothers me when someone cheats, that's on them and not on me. Won't affect the way I study, or learn the material, and apply that to the exams. I also don't believe in telling on someone either, unless it affects me personally, or harmful to others

[BeachsideRN, ASN]

Never bothers me when someone cheats, that's on them and not on me. Won't affect the way I study, or learn the material, and apply that to the exams. I also don't believe in telling on someone either, unless it affects me personally, or harmful to others

Some programs have an honor code that states of you witness cheating and don't do you due diligence by telling faculty then you are guilty by association

[Jules A, MSN]

Never bothers me when someone cheats, that's on them and not on me. Won't affect the way I study, or learn the material, and apply that to the exams. I also don't believe in telling on someone either, unless it affects me personally, or harmful to others

Its possible I'm just a busy body but I can't stand people cheating especially not in a program like nursing which is supposed to be somewhat morally driven. While I'm not going to make myself crazy worrying about it because sadly it is the way our society is now but I do believe cheating in nursing school is harmful to others: their future patients.

[Shawn91111]

Its possible I'm just a busy body but I can't stand people cheating especially not in a program like nursing which is supposed to be somewhat morally driven. While I'm not going to make myself crazy worrying about it because sadly it is the way our society is now but I do believe cheating in nursing school is harmful to others: their future patients.

In what way exactly

[Jules A, MSN]

In what way exactly

Are you asking me to explain why someone who cheated and didn't learn the information required to graduate from nursing school might be harmful to future patients?

[southrnurse2016]

Same. Nothing was done because the email sent to alert the ones in charge was "anonymous."

[Shawn91111]

Are you asking me to explain why someone who cheated and didn't learn the information required to graduate from nursing school might be harmful to future patients?

You're over assuming that is indeed what happened, and predicting that will be taking place off of one exam for which we don't know the course or information

[direw0lf, BSN]

I don't know what the issue is here. However I can't think of one nursing course where not learning the info wouldn't lead to potentially harming a pt physiologically or psychosocially. The course this happened in was intro to pt care and deals with assessment and patho.

[imintrouble, BSN, RN]

In what way exactly

Cheating is an indicator of integrity or lack thereof.

People who have no integrity in one area of their life, probably don't have it in most areas of their life. Nursing relies on the honesty of its nurses.

I could cite you examples of why honesty in nursing is vital, but you should already have figured that out if you're a nurse. If you're not, you'll learn. Or not, considering your response to the argument of why to report cheating.

[Alexifish]

My nursing program has not yet started, but I have seen a surprising amount of cheating in the last few prerequisite classes, from partnering on tests (though not allowed in the syllabus), plagiarism, whispering during tests, opening browser windows, tiny notes written on hands and water bottles...

What frustrates me is that, in classes that are curved, this disadvantages the other test-takers who are not cheating. I have commented to the professors, and they seem very aware that it is occurring, but are reluctant to take action, instead saying that, "They are only hurting themselves" and "It will catch up to them in the long run."

And it might -- they'll probably have more trouble in future classes because they can't quickly recall information, or they won't pass the NCLEX, but in the meantime, they are my group members, and their participation in projects and groupwork directly affects my progress and time management (& sometimes, my final grade). Teaching someone else is a valuable learning opportunity; however, having an irresponsible classmate also robs me of the two-way conversation about the material, and the chance that they might teach me something, too.