Cheating in Pre-Reqs

[xxyyzz]

I've been a "lurker" for quiteeeeeee some time now, and I have a sort of ethical dilemma on my hands. I'm in a 4.5 week A&P I class for the summer. The girl sitting next to me has used her cell phone to cheat on every exam so far (3 total). Everyone else in the class is busting their asses to pull C's (somehow our tests never have anything to do with our lectures/notes)... Part of me says to just mind my own business and let it be, but the other part of me is enraged that I spend countless hours studying to "earn" my Bs and Cs! I know there are cheaters everywhere and I can't stop them all, but in a way she is my "competition" as we are both going for the same program. I know how upset I would be if her cheated A beat out my earned B and she got into the program. Any suggestions on what to do?

[Creamsoda, ASN, RN]

Hey, so I personally think that you should just focus on yourself and earning your A. Get a tutor, ask your professor for help show him/ her that you want that A and are ready to do anything to succeed in their class. In the end you may recieve a great recommendation letter that your cheating competitor won't have.

I know it sucks because a part of you wants to rat her out, but in the end of the day she can't cheat her way through Nursing School, or even life as a Nurse. Her unethical ways will catch up to her. For now just focus on yourself because the only reason you know about her tactics is because you sit next to her. For all you know someone across from you in class is doing the same thing, which I wouldn't be surprised if they were because that is very common in school and life in general.

Thats sadly the real world and you just need to focus on making yourself the best YOU you can be. Other people are just distractions. I hope this advice helped, goodluck!

I would like to disagree, I know everyone has a different take on this issue. Lets look at this as if you guys are already nurses and working along side someone who lets say you think is diverting drugs? Is charting things she says is done when it clearly was not done ect. Would you not speak up or at least mention it to a supervisor?Its a patient safety issue in my examples, but someone who cheats now clearly has poor morals and will translate to the future. I think the same thing goes. I don't see the harm in mentioning your concerns to your instructor and they can take it from there.

[Cali_Nurse_209]

I would definitely say something. We had a cheating problem like this in our Organic/Biochem lecture and lab. I noticed it and so did my friend that had lab after mine. She ended up informing our professor. The professor said she'd have to see it with her own eyes though. Fortunately, our professor kept an eye out and made the accused stay after class to talk with them. Everybody knew what this was about. The cheaters knew the professor was on their tail. Cheating isn't right. If you have to cheat through pre reqs how the hell do you think you're going to make it in actual nursing school let alone as a nurse?! As for the people who are saying "mind your business" actually it's your obligation to report cheating, it's on your syllabus. Would you really want some nurse who cheated his/her way through nursing school working on you ?! I think not!

[dkmamato3]

How can the instructor not realize what's going on? Either a cell phone is out, or she's glancing down an awful lot. Instructor sounds pretty clueless....

I agree for testing at my school all cell phones have to be placed at a desk in front of the class. Having a cell phone on you (or in your bag) is considered cheating.

[SaraMC]

I share your irritation. I haven't read the other comments yet, but I'm pretty sure someone has already said this. Leave her be, since she's obviously not learning the material well enough to pass on her own it will show on her exit exam/when she finally gets to the program and she wont be able to cheat on that and will end up failing, so problem solved. :-) Or you could just report her. I would.

[lindzrae]

Exactly! She is only cheating herself. It will catch up to her and she will regret not paying attention in the core classes.

[amzyRN]

I've been a "lurker" for quiteeeeeee some time now, and I have a sort of ethical dilemma on my hands. I'm in a 4.5 week A&P I class for the summer. The girl sitting next to me has used her cell phone to cheat on every exam so far (3 total). Everyone else in the class is busting their asses to pull C's (somehow our tests never have anything to do with our lectures/notes)... Part of me says to just mind my own business and let it be, but the other part of me is enraged that I spend countless hours studying to "earn" my Bs and Cs! I know there are cheaters everywhere and I can't stop them all, but in a way she is my "competition" as we are both going for the same program. I know how upset I would be if her cheated A beat out my earned B and she got into the program. Any suggestions on what to do?

Continue to be honest and earn your grades. No need to tell on the cheater, she will get the karmic effects of cheating. Honesty is one of the core values of nursing and it also feels good to really earn one's grades. As others have suggested, find ways to earn your A or even B. One or 2 Bs probably won't ruin your chances of getting in to nursing school.

[JZ_RN]

Absolutely tell. You are liable if it comes out later that you knew. Also, she doesn't deserve her grades, doesn't deserve a spot if she cheated, and lord knows no one needs a nurse who doesn't know his or her stuff 'cause they cheated.

[BrandonLPN, LPN]

I still say let her get caught on her own. We all know she'll never make through nursing school cheating like that. Why get yourself involved? My motto is: avoid other people's drama at all costs. Accusing another student of cheating can potentially get you entangled in a whole MESS of drama. All you have to worry about is what YOU'RE doing.

[mmm333, LVN]

I would tell that instructor and I might even go visit the nursing program office or leave them both an anonymous note. Some members of the current generation seem to think that having a smartphone makes them smart.

[CRNAspire]

so what happened?!?!?!?!?

[umbdude, MSN, APRN]

Report on the cheater. It's the right thing to do.

[Crazed]

I reported two people I felt were cheating in my A&P class. They sat next to each other, talked to each other during exams, and compared answers. I told the instructor that it was distracting and unfair. The instructor assured me that they were not cheating and had talked to other instructors who had them before.

Well they made it to clinical.

And had to drop midway through.

The really big difference? Nursing exams are silent exams.

I would say something like, "Instructor so and so, I sit next to (insert name) and during exams she's using her cell phone which is kind of distracting. Would it be possible for you to have us leave our bags at the back of the room next exam, or perhaps talk to her about the distraction? I feel a little uncomfortable approaching her."

Problem solved.