Cheating pre-nursing students

[buttons93]

Thought I would bring this up because it has been happening way too much at my school and it is my biggest pet peeve.

So I took Anatomy my first semester of college. The classroom was about 90% women wanting to enter the nursing program. About 2 weeks into the semester we had our first quiz. We had a quiz every week after that. By about the 4th quiz, my teacher figured out that a group of 3 girls had been cheating on quizzes. So from there on we rearranged seats for every quiz and test to prevent cheating.

This very same situation has happened in a lot of my other classes that consist of mostly pre-nursing students. It happened in Physio., Psych., Human Development, and even my EMT class which consists mostly of CNAs, LVNs, MAs, and psych. techs wanting to switch careers.

I understand the pressure that we are under to get good grades but at the same time, if anyone isn't commited to learning the material, or just doesn't have the time to study, why would they want to go into nursing? Has nursing been glorified so much to the point that people will do anything just to get in? I guess people really are that desperate. I don't like it at all.

What do you think?

[cmbowe]

Nursing is one of the most trusted professions. People who are willing to cheat to get in can't be trusted & shouldn't become nurses. I don't understand how a school would allow this & just rearrange seats. Cheating is grounds for expulsion not just musical chairs! As a nursing student I know how important GPA is in trying to get into a competitive program. I also know how important it is to understand the fundamentals before you get into a nursing program because the expectation is that you already know it.

Not cool!

[Hemphia]

cheaters, no matter what profession they are going into, eventually have "karma" catch up with them!!! i have experienced my fair share of cheaters in my nursing pre-req classes over the last 2 years. it drives me crazy! when the "slackers" try to get me to help them, i tell them no.... i also let them know that "they are not worth me losing my spot at ut health science center this fall". i have been looked at like i am the biggest bia (& have also gotten nasty responses back ), but i don't work my butt off to make someone else life easier (so to speak) !!! i am a mother of a 2 year old, a wife, homekeeper, etc who goes to school full time and i can still manage to make a's...... most of the cheaters are lazy "kids" who don't get it.....

personally i think those individuals shouldn't even be able to make it into any nursing programs, because they have taken a spot for someone who has earned their grades, and deserves to be there. but for those that do make it into the program they will eventually fail out, because nursing school, adn or bsn, is far from easy.... and cheating???? they are pretty much screwed!!!

so remember the life lesson here.... karma is a bit**!!!! just keep up your hard work, i promise it will pay off :thankya:

[chandani430]

I dealt with this all semester in my anatomy & physiology class. A majority of the students in my class were cheating on quizzes, lecture exams and lab exams. My instructor would even leave the room during most exams! People would take out their cellphones and if he caught them, he would just accept whatever stupid excuse they gave like that they had their phone out to see the time despite there being a clock on the wall! I spoke to my instructor on several occasions about the cheating but nothing changed (I really think he didn't care) until I went over his head and complained to the Dean. After talking to the Dean,things finally changed.

[Cali_Nurse_209]

I would have to agree. It really makes me upset because I'm working my butt off and students in my Biochem/Organic lecture and lab have been cheating. Our professor was told of this but sense she hasn't seen it for herself, the only thing she's done is ask if they have and of course they say no. So she just gave them a warning. @bigboi, that's what I keep saying, if they even get into the nursing program cheating won't work.

[Stcroix, ASN, PhD, RN]

I reported cheaters to my prof more than once during a pre req. He warned the class before the next exam. The cheating continued and he....did nothing. I can only conclude he just didn't care, but I sure did. All rules in print state you will be expelled, but I guess it is an empty threat as I have never heard of someone actually being expelled.

[chandani430]

Unfortunately, I think that most colleges nowadays care more about making money than they do about punishing cheating. One of my professors said that another reason nothing is done about cheaters is the fear of lawsuits. It's ridiculous.

[JonJP]

Anyone who cheats, ends up failing in the long run. I don't let anyone take my work, and if they ask to cheat they are met with a brisk no :) If I can study and do all my work along with working and trying to have a little bit of a life, they can make the time to study as well.

[WannaBNursey, ADN, ASN, RN]

This happens with any program in which it's very competitive or where the only thing that matters is getting an A. I will say that the only thing I learned in all of my high school honors and AP classes was how to cheat, or how to do the least amount of work to get an A. Needless to say, that's not helping me now, and I'm trying to teach myself how to study effectively because I wasn't taught while in school.

That being said, how have these students not been thrown out of the school? There was one time in my pre-req classes ONLY ONE TIME when a teacher in one of my pre-req class found out that two students in her class were cheating. She gave them 0's on their lab practicals and threatened to report them for academic dishonesty, they were reported to the school of nursing and were not allowed to apply at this school. That teacher took it easy on the students. I've heard stories of another teacher reporting students to the dean and having them removed from the school, and once you're removed from college, good luck getting back in. I seriously, have never cheated in my college classes (despite my 4 years of training to cheat my way to success) out of fear of being black-balled.

[PetsToPeople]

If they actually make it to the nursing program, they won't last long at all.

[MyMystudentRN]

ive seen my fair share of cheaters and those who love to slack off. in my lvn program (private school super expensive) about half the class were the rowdy class clown who always had some sarcastic remark in the middle of lecture. instructor really didnt care much she even laughed at some remarks until it came to the quizzes (one every week). she was strict when it came to these tests. she even orinted out 3 different versions so that every row would either have test A, B, or C. However, oeioke still found a way to cheat by pulling out their cellphones and googling the answer. instructor was going to retire when we graduated so she hardly paid attention after she handed out the tests. well needless to say when it came down to take the exit exam (HESI) the ones who fooled around had to take it mulitple times before their info. was sent to the board to even be eligible to take the Nclex-PN. two that i know of just passed. and the other 3 have yet to take it

karma is definitely a *****:thankya:

[onetallgirl]

I know that with our teacher, our syllabus states that the first incident is an F on that assignment/test, and a second is expulsion from the class. I'm pretty sure that both incidents are reported to the dean/records.

Of course, there are always suspicions...and not hard evidence. It would be difficult to expel purely on suspicions I think.

[Bobmo88]

That is just shameful, I hope they fail the rest of their classes and don't get into a program. These are people that are trying to enter a profession where they are responsible for taking care of others, how could they live with themselves? If they can't get the job done in prereqs, how will they do it in nursing school or real life?