Cheating in Pre-Reqs

Nursing Students Pre-Nursing

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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?

separately, i’ve never understood why one should not do a little bit to make the world a better place just because one cannot do everything. so what if it is unrealistic to stop all cheating… how does that translate into do nothing to stop any cheating?

this!!!!! :)

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Specializes in Interested in hospice & palliative care.

Some really good points were made, that caused me to pause and consider my original opinion, which was to just let the cheater get caught eventually. For me personally, it would depend on the situation. I'm still astounded that cell phones were allowed to be out at all during an exam, much less used!

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Specializes in CMSRN.

Wow, this was one heck of a post. I definitely would tell an instructor about something like this. Nursing programs are highly competitive and it would be a travesty for a person to get a spot only to fail out because they didn't deserve it in the first place. There are too many people that are willing to work hard to let a cheater get through. Way to go by telling the instructor. It's not easy but you did the right thing!!

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I think you're being a little melodramatic here. Just because I'd prefer not to get myself involved doesn't mean I'm "allying myself with evil" or something. I would just push through and mind my own business cause I hate getting tangled up in some big drama mess.

Brandon, no one is forcing anyone to do anything. Without invoking Goodwin's law, I'm sure you're aware of the historical result of widespread apathy. The implication is not that all evils are equal, but that all evils should be eliminated, to the degree possible. Where do you draw the line with a no-snitching stance?

It's a question of ethics.

It *could* spiral into drama fast if the cheater figured out who ratted on her. I have a strict "never get involved in other people's crap" policy and it's served me well. I concentrated on my studying and my grades and coasted through nursing school with an EARNED 4.0. I don't have time to worry about if other people are cheating. What do I care? Let the cheaters get caught by the instructors. That's THEIR job. How could he be so clueless not to notice some chick looking at her freaking cell phone during an exam?! She was bound to get caught sooner or later....

Yes, anything can happen. There are risks in anything you do. Is everything you do strictly motivated by what directly impacts you personally, discounting the fact that someone could undeservedly take your place, your earned 4.0 notwithstanding? Some instructors don't seem to care, but no instructor can see everything that goes on at all times. Our school has an honor code that we're bound to. Everyone signed a statement that they would abide by the rules of the school when they applied. Presumably people had some idea what they were signing.

Given your activism, I'm surprised by your response. How do you feel about union busters?

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Specializes in HH, Peds, Rehab, Clinical.

I'm glad you were able to confirm what the instructor was already suspecting. I still stick to my original thought (even MORE so now) that this instructor should have/could have been trying a little harder to discover HOW the cheating was taking place under her nose...

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By the way, this subject was discussed a few years ago:

cheating at nursing school.

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I'm a little late into the topic. First, OP, I'm proud of you for having the nerve to tell the teacher. So many people would have backed down and not told.

When I was taking AP1, I had a girl that was cheating off of my paper. The teacher noticed that we had the same wrong answers (what few wrong answers I had) and came to me about it. She noticed the way I sat (facing slightly left, always have) and that there was no way I was the one copying. The third exam, she told me to put the wrong answer on every single question. She let me take the exam the day before, secretly, so that I would be familiar with the material. After this exam, she took both of our answer sheets and me to the Chancellor, told him what she had told me to do, and he called the girl to his office. Never heard from her again after that. I had a couple of other classes with her, which she never showed up for again. I can only assume she was expelled.

Now that I am actually getting ready for nursing school, I will be even more vigilent of cheaters. Luckily, I tend to move too fast for most people to be able to cheat off me. I have always been a fast test taker. In my recent NA class, I would finish the exams ten to twenty minutes faster than anyone else. I also finished with the highest average.

My point is this. You did the right thing. But now that it's done, move on. Be mindful of people doing things like this in the future and don't be afraid to report them up front. If the professor doesn't do anything about it, let it go. As long as you do what's right, you've done your best.

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My teacher just brought that up n class this am. We're in dosage & calculations & someone went to the teacher & told her that 1 girl had possibly cheated on the test last week & when that girl got 2 class this am she ask outloud who was the person that told the teacher she was cheatin b/c @ the time we all were done(except her) & she was tlkin 2 the girl nxt 2 her & so it was assumed she was cheatin & she was mad sayin she wish she knew who it was so she could punch them n the face! Once we r finished w/our test we r 2 turn it n & leave the classroom & once everybody is done the teacher calls us back in & normally while we r testin the teacher is in her office looking out @ us from her big glass window but 2 day she sat out w/us @ the podium & she went over the rules 4 cheatin which is grounds of dismissal from the prog! Trust & believe they mite be gettin away w/it now but it will catch upb w/them. Not only r u cheating urself but ur cheating ur patient 2!

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IDK if I would tell if a person was cheating since im usually concerned with my own paper and wouldn't want the instructor to think i am cheating myself. We had people cheating on test but at the end that came back to damage them since those same A&P courses go hand in hand with what you learn in the nursing courses. That student who use to cheat and use her cell phone while the instructor wasnt watching ended up flunking out the program.

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If I couldn't figure out what the exams are based on after three exams (since they aren't based on the lecture or the book) - I would drop the class and take it later with a different professor. I would make an extensive effort to figure it out first but it sounds like you did that and this really is a no win situation.

I withdrew from A&P I this past spring semester because of this reason. The instructor was too vague in what she wanted, esp. at test time, and if I continue with my pre-nursing coursework, I will take Biology 100 (intro) and then A&P sometime after that. However, I dropped 2 classes this fall and only taking 2 @ Ivy Tech: Algebra II and English Composition. I needed to slow things down and take my time; this is going to be a long process/adventure anyway.

Good luck with your endeavors!

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Specializes in CMSRN.
I withdrew from A&P I this past spring semester because of this reason. The instructor was too vague in what she wanted, esp. at test time, and if I continue with my pre-nursing coursework, I will take Biology 100 (intro) and then A&P sometime after that. However, I dropped 2 classes this fall and only taking 2 @ Ivy Tech: Algebra II and English Composition. I needed to slow things down and take my time; this is going to be a long process/adventure anyway.

Good luck with your endeavors!

Hey Hoosier69! I'm a fellow Hoosier myself! What campus do you attend? I'm a current ASN student in Bloomington. Please feel free to contact me or message me anytime if there's anything I can do or if you have any questions. I love to talk to fellow Ivy Tech students! :)

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Specializes in Interested in hospice & palliative care.

Vague exams are the worst! I took A & P II this summer and am still waiting for final grade. Nothing that was ever on the exam review guide was actually on the exam. I did great on all of the practicals, but considered withdrawing from the class due to lecture exam grades that were not up to my personal standard. Now as I wait with a giant ulcer brewing, for the final grade, I am beginning to wish I had dropped the course. I apologize, I know this has zilch to do with cheating, but a prior similarly related post caught my eye. Good luck!

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