Cheating

RNNoMore · Aug 17, 2004

Ugh! I hate dishonesty, in any form - and it's even worse from people who are going to be put in positions of trust! You did the right thing. Let's face it - if they are having to cheat to pass exams, then they are not willing or able to actually learn the stuff....they would end up being very dangerous 'nurses' and when people's lives are at stake, and one little mistake can sometimes mean the difference between life & death, then that's a terrible thing!

Paint.

loriann, BSN, RN · Aug 17, 2004

During my last Microbiology exam, the instructor caught a student cheating (she had copies of all the answer keys). I think it's a shame, as this person is obviously limiting herself and trying to take an easy way out that can only hurt the people she is trying to help in the long run. I don't know what happened to that student, but she does not deserve to remain in a nursing program.

CardioTrans, BSN, RN · Aug 17, 2004

Hopefully the instructors will find a way to handle the situation. But you also have to remember......... the state boards will show who really knows there stuff and who doesnt. You cant cheat on state boards.

Tony35NYC · Aug 17, 2004

Those students may think they're smart now, but all that cheating they're doing now won't help them when its time to do the NCLEX. I know of a few people at my school who tried to cheat on the exams in the past, but I doubt anyone would be too willing to try it now. I've seen instructors rip up exam papers and give students an "F" because of cheating, and I've also seen students get kicked out of the nursing program, too.

Now our dean has some pretty strict rules about nursing exams. There's always at least 3 different versions of every exam, and they alternate the versions that are passed down each row of students in a class, so trying to sneak a peak off the person next to you won't help. They also don't allow you to bring anything into the exam except the pencils that are used to mark the scantrons, so there's no scratch paper to copy down the questions. The instructors give each student a pre-numbered scantron and corresponding exam booklet, and af the end of the exam they make every student stay in his/her seat while they walk around and collect every exam booklet with the corresponding scantron. And, there's always at least two instructors constantly walking around the room watching everybody like a hawk.

I used to think these things were a bit on the extreme side, but all things considered, its only fair to those of us who study hard for a decent grade. :)

mariedoreen · Aug 17, 2004

I hate that I was put into the position of turning them in, but you would think they would get the hint the first time. More importantly aren't we expected to be ethical and professional?
Has anyone else experienced this unfortunate situation? Is cheating that common? Maybe I'm just too old.

... Our program says "... a nursing student who has observed or is knowledgeable of academic dishonesty has the moral/ethical responsibility to report such violations to their advisor or program director." AND that if we observe a "breach of integrity" (like what you are describing) and do not report it then we are guilty of facilitating dishonesty and subject to discipline ourselves!

What I experienced occurred during pre-reqs in A&P... we had two family members taking the class who spoke a language other than English as their primary. During the exams they were whispering in this language, passing notes and showing each other their answers. Talk about hard to take. We had all been studying our tails off to do well on these exams and they're just blatently cheating in front of us. I think over the course of the year every one of us in the class had turned them in at some point, but as far as I know they were never really disciplined.

abundantjoy07, RN · Aug 17, 2004

even though it sucks being a snitch...you did the right thing! cheating is for losers!:angryfire if you have to cheat to get by then you wont learn a single thing. i wouldn't want a dumb nurse working with me or on me! i want someone smart and intelligent who made it through on his or her own!

RNSuzq1, RN · Aug 17, 2004

I hate to think there are people trying to cheat their way through a Nursing Program. I'm starting this week and wanted to think that everyone going into this field of "Nursing" is a genuinely honest and caring person with a conscience - but guess I was being naive about that. Like a previous poster said - they might cheat their way through school but won't be able to cheat on the Boards. I guess that's Nursing's safeguard - it prevents anyone from being licensed to treat patients if they don't know their stuff.

In all my years I have found that people who cheat at one thing usually have no problem cheating on most things in their life - in school, on their taxes, in business, etc. Those are people I don't want anything to do with - and just very sad to think someone would cheat to become a Nurse.. yuck, Susan

chris_at_lucas_RN, RN · Aug 17, 2004

Integrity should be a basic requirement for nursing students. The cheats should have been excused from the class, from the program and from the school.

When a policy is not enforced, or there is no policy, rest assured that the way it will be taken is that "misbehavior" is OK.

It demeans the school and the program, and it undermines the value of your (personal) accomplishment.

After all, you and your transcript will look the same as the cheaters and their transcripts, won't you?

There's a C&W song that says something like if you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything.

Consider that when you "rat out" a cheater, you help your program, yourself and you help the cheater. If limits aren't set, there are no limits.

We all make a difference--some of us by what we do and some by what we fail to do.

Good luck.

DZcarrie · Aug 17, 2004

you are not doing anything wrong!

if they cheat now, can you imagine how'd they'd be as a nurse?

cheater as a nurse: "oh, i'll just sign off on this med even though i didn't really give it."

we don't need any shady characters in our line of work!!!!

:uhoh3:

stressgal, RN · Aug 17, 2004

Thanks guys. I know I did the right thing, and would not hesitate to do it again. It does help to know that I'm not the only one who values honesty and integrity. Your words have empowered me and taken away any unneccesary guilt I was feeling. Thank you again!

Energizer Bunny · Aug 17, 2004

I just said it on another thread and I'll say it here...cheaters do not belong in nursing school. There should be a NO TOLERANCE policy for this behavior. It someone's life that we will be dealing with in the future and if they make a mistake there it could be fatal.