Hello all! I am currently having an ethical dilemma and am in need of some opinions/advice from current nurses, CRNA students, and practicing CRNAs. I found this board and thought it would be a perfect place to get some feedback. It is important to note, I am NOT a nurse, CRNA, or CRNA student.
This is my problem- I recently was asked by a CRNA student to assist with researching and writing a paper for one of his/her core courses in his/her CRNA/MSN program. However, I ended up doing 100 percent of this person's research and wrote about 75 percent of the paper. I should also note that this was a major research paper and took a great amount of time to both research and write and totaled about 25 pages when complete. The student ended up with the highest grade in his/her class and I believe the paper constituted the majority of his/her grade. The student asked for my help because he/she chose to take a vacation immediately prior to the end of the semester and could not complete all of the work he/she needed to by the end of the semester. I agreed to help out because I thought I was helping out a friend.
I have come to regret helping out for various reasons, but mostly I have realized that this may have been unethical on my part and unfair to other students. I have also began to sincerely question the honesty and integrity of the individual who I helped out since after getting to know him/her a little better I have come to learn that he/she is not the most ethical person in the world in most areas of his/her life. In fact, he/she never stops to think if what he/she is doing is wrong or what effect his/her actions might have on others.
In a way, I was thinking of coming forward to satisfy my own guilt, but also to teach this person a lesson. However, I don't want to ruin his/her life and have no idea if something like this could potentially get him/her kicked out of school. So since I have absolutely no experience in your field, have no idea on the amount of emphasis on ethical behavior in your field, or the type of colleagues you all deal with on a daily basis I just wanted to get some feedback on what you would want to happen in this situation.
-Would you care if your classmate cheated?
-Is ethical makeup and personal integrity even a consideration in your field?
-If this was one of your classmates would you want them exposed?
-If I come forward, will this get him/her kicked out of the program- how seriously is this type of violation taken in a CRNA program?
There are a few things I find puzzling about your "ethical delimma" First of all, you say that you are not a nurse, CRNA, or CRNA student, yet you did 100 percent of the research and 75 percent of the actual writing on this paper. WHY?!? If the paper you wrote recieved the highest grade in the class, then surely you have been (or still are) a college student. I am sure you are aware that doing someone else's work is academic dishonesty and is grounds for being kicked out of school. You also say that you now question this person's integrity and that you "have come to learn that he/she is not the most ethical person in the world in most areas of his/her life...and never stops to think if what he/she is doing is wrong or what effect his/her actions might have on others." This sounds like this peson has burned you in some way and now you regret helping them out. So... now that you have some "dirt" on this person, what are you going to do with it? The questions you posted for us are "no brainers." I believe that you already know the answers to them and are simply seeking justification and support for turning this person in. Not going to find it here. Chalk this one up to a lesson learned and don't allow yourself to be used this way again.
The important question is whether or not this person should remain in school and be permitted to become a CRNA. As a member of this wonderful profession and as one who has given much to it, I do not want a colleague who is not ethicl and not professional. We must be excellent clinicians because everything we do will be carefully scrutinized.
You should discuss this with the program director and also do some soul searching yourself on why you participated in this fraud. Would you want to put you or your loved ones' life in the hands of an unethical anesthetist. I wouldn't.
The issue was also posted on old-gas and every CRNA who commented believes the student should be reported and hopefully will not be permitted to become a CRNA.
I'm wondering why, if someone has instances of other ethical problems, as this student supposedly does have, would you trust that they would suddenly become ethical when they were preparing to use anesthesia on you? This wasn't just a one time boo boo.
There is a history here . .. . both parties have some soul-searching to do.
Please listen to yogaCRNA. He represents the profession unlike many who are posting here.
I start CRNA school in January and really hope that my fellow students demonstrate better ethical judgement than the student you are talking about. I almost got kicked out of my BSN program b/c another student got ahold of one of my papers and used my ideas and wording without me knowing anything about it. It took a lot of effort to clear my name. It is a very scary thing to almost have your dreams shattered b/c of people who are willing to cut corners. Cheating is disrespectful to colleagues, the grading system, your institution, and your profession.
I say report to Program Director with full explanation, and let the student pay the consequences however steep they may be. Cheating academically is wrong and should not be tolerated.
Obtaining a coveted position in an anesthesia program should be limited to those who earn them. Furthermore, maintaining a seat in said program should be reserved to those who continue to prove their desire to be there. This individual clearly does not belong in an anesthesia program. One could very easily argue that this person doesn't even want to be there as evidenced by their lack of responsibility and accountability. To me there is no dilemma.
I have been working my fanny off for the four exams/projects I have due this week. I have had eight hours of sleep in two nights, and tonight doesn't look much better. But you know what? At least it is my own work. At the end of the week, I can honestly say that I am doing the best job I can do.
The SRNA who is a part of this cheating does not belong in this profession. I once heard a CRNA at a conference, after a few cocktails, admit to cheating her way through her program. She thought it was funny. No one else did.
This needs to be addressed with the program director immediately. Period.
I think you made a choice when you agreed to help and it is your guilt questioning things now. Whats done is done, and perhaps your ego is a little bruised because this person received credit for something you did which was excellent....I think you are past the event and doing anything beyond discussing your regrets with this person is not warranted and would do nothing but assuage whatever guilt or regret you continue to have. It would do no good for anyone. If it were me I might discuss my feelings with the individual but otherwise would let it pass...You would not come off well should you go to official routes...It is only a mistake if you repeat it...Otherwise it is a lesson...Great advice to me from my dad.....Good luck. The person asked you to help...You did..YOU chose to put the effort into it....
Here's a smattering of replies on Old-Gas Passers' website in response to this dilemma (edited to maintain anonymity of respondents since this is an open forum):
They need to come forward. For many reasons.
I find it absolutely amazing that someone would devote so much time to a project knowing that it was for someone elses research. It is so wrong as to leave me speechless.
I would not let this student continue, His/her integrity is in question.
Sounds like this student is eager to look for shortcuts and the 'easy way out' as opposed to putting in a good days work with attention to detail. Not a great characteristic for an anesthesia provider. You would be doing his/her future patients a diservice if this was not reported and resolved such that the SRNA knows this type of behavior in unacceptable in the anesthesia world. JMHO
I rarely respond to the interesting correspondence on OGP, however, I can't stay silent on this issue. Our profession depends on our ethical standards. We must be able to rely on the integrity of our colleagues.
Hello all again! First I want to thank everyone for taking the time to respond to my posting and taking my dilemma seriously. You all had some excellent points and have helped me come to a decision on what to do about this problem. I do appreciate all of your thoughts.
To answer some of your obvious questions- you might be surprised to hear this person who I helped was not my boyfriend/girlfriend, fiancé, husband/wife- just an old friend who I was helping out in a time of need. I was not expecting any form of compensation or payback from this person either. This person has not burned me in any way and I am not seeking any kind of revenge. Mostly, I think I discovered a pattern of behavior exhibited by this person that began to make me wonder about their makeup and I started having some serious regrets about my role in this whole situation. I realized after it was too late that I had made a serious mistake in helping this person out and a serious mistake in judgment.
I began to pay greater attention to things this person was saying to me in passing that struck a nerve such as: he/she submits fraudulent tax returns every year b/c "they already take out too much" & "everybody does it". He/she misrepresented where she lived to her insurance company for the past two years because "I'm not telling them I live in (blank); I'm not paying those rates". He/she found it acceptable for a family friend (a doctor) to write a note for a sibling to get them out of missing an exam when the sibling wasn't even sick. These are the things I was talking about when I mentioned not being ethical in some other areas of his/her life and not considering what effect his/her actions has on other people. After trying to point out to this person that all of these things are wrong, he/she always responds with "you're crazy" or "everybody does it". Well, after reading all of your responses I think most of you will agree with me that not everybody does it. I don't live my life that way and I was able to realize what I did was wrong and I made a mistake. A mistake I will live with and consider it a lesson learned.
However, after considering all of your responses I have decided I am not going to be the one to ruin another person's dreams either. I feel guilty enough for my role in this whole situation already but the guilt of destroying a person's lifelong pursuits would be greater. At this point I can only hope that the pattern of behavior exhibited in this person's personal ethical makeup will not carry over into his/her professional life. I have made an effort to try to get him/her to change and pointed out that what we did was wrong and all of those other things that I mentioned previously are wrong as well. Like one of you mentioned, if this pattern of behavior continues, hopefully eventually it will catch up to him/her- hopefully before it is too late. But I am not going to act as the moral police here.
I decided to do some research into the AANA Code of Ethics and found the following interpretive statement regarding personal conviction in a previous outdated version of the Code, "each CRNA will assume responsibility for protecting patients and the profession against colleagues who may be incompetent and/or ethically deficient. A CRNA who exhibits incompetence or engages in illegal conduct, or otherwise fails to meet the principles of this Code of Ethics, should be exposed without hesitation to the proper authority." Well, in the most recent version of the Code this clause has been completely removed. Throughout the current Code there seems to be a focus on professional ethics only and behavior within of the scope of work. For example, "the CRNA takes appropriate action to protect patients form healthcare providers who...engage in illegal or unethical PRACTICE" & "CRNA is responsible for...maintaining the dignity and integrity of the PROFESSION" & "CRNA's maintain ethical BUSINESS PRACTICES in dealing with patients, colleagues, institutions, and corporations." I was surprised to see this shift away or lack of concern for a person's overall ethical makeup and focus more towards only a person's professional conviction. Personally, I don't think you can draw a line between the two, but it appears the AANA is trying to for some reason. This has also played a role in my decision here.
So again, I want to thank you all for your outstanding responses and thoughts, and for taking my dilemma seriously. I know some of you will strongly disagree with my decision to just let it go and I understand your points about not wanting to be associated with a person like this in your profession. I would feel the same way. But there are people like this who slip through the cracks in every profession and we all just have to hope we get lucky and never end up having to deal with them. Unfortunately, I do understand that the outcome in your profession could be a little more serious. Thanks again! I do appreciate it!
PS- where is this Old-Gas- Passers web-site? I would like to see some of the responses posted there.
You have put so much thought and time into this...Makes me think you would do the same if an ethical dilemma regarding yourself, a patient or doc arose...And thats so very important..Another life lesson learned....Take care.....In some way or another, larger or smaller, we have all been presented with similar difficult scenarios....
comfortablynumb
9 Posts
There are a few things I find puzzling about your "ethical delimma" First of all, you say that you are not a nurse, CRNA, or CRNA student, yet you did 100 percent of the research and 75 percent of the actual writing on this paper. WHY?!? If the paper you wrote recieved the highest grade in the class, then surely you have been (or still are) a college student. I am sure you are aware that doing someone else's work is academic dishonesty and is grounds for being kicked out of school. You also say that you now question this person's integrity and that you "have come to learn that he/she is not the most ethical person in the world in most areas of his/her life...and never stops to think if what he/she is doing is wrong or what effect his/her actions might have on others." This sounds like this peson has burned you in some way and now you regret helping them out. So... now that you have some "dirt" on this person, what are you going to do with it? The questions you posted for us are "no brainers." I believe that you already know the answers to them and are simply seeking justification and support for turning this person in. Not going to find it here. Chalk this one up to a lesson learned and don't allow yourself to be used this way again.