Friends cheating.. what to do?

[ajeanpants]

I have quite the dilemma here. We have a med-surg final coming up in a few weeks, and many of the questions will be from previous exams. I don't know about your schools, but my nursing school does alot to ensure that no one has written record of test questions (for example, during a test review we aren't allowed to take any notes, we never get tests back, etc). One girl has somehow obtained copies of all the previous exams and is talking about distributing them to our classmates. The problem is, everyone involved are very close friends of mine who have always had great character and integrity and I am completely shocked they are doing this. There are tons of people who need to ace the final in order to even pass the class, but not these people. It is so unfair to those whose grades are hanging in the balance and it is just plain wrong. I'm afraid that if I tell the prof they will get in big trouble, and I'm the only person who knows about this who isn't participating, so I will lose many close friends. Any advice?

[CuriousMe]

Thanks for all the advice guys... lots to think about for sure and it helps to have outside perspective! I wish they would have never put me in this position, because it sucks. Choose your NS buddies wisely Another lesson learned

Do keep this in mind, they're not your friends if they shared this information with you (what friend would put you in this kind of position?).....in fact, if you don't report what you know, you're not a friend, but an accomplice.

If it were me, I'd do the right thing and report this to faculty. I'd do this for two reasons: the first is that it's just the right thing to do (and is part of our school's honor code), and two is that I worked far to hard to get in to a nursing program to let another student put me in a position to get kicked out.

[iPink, BSN, RN]

I'm going against what everyone has advised you to do..

I know it isn't fair, but mind you're business. They'll find out it was you. Worry about passing and it'll catch up to them later. You never know the teacher may completely change the exam, screwing them over.

[CuriousMe]

I'm going against what everyone has advised you to do..

I know it isn't fair, but mind you're business. They'll find out it was you. Worry about passing and it'll catch up to them later. You never know the teacher may completely change the exam, screwing them over.

Replies like this scare me for the future of nursing.

[iPink, BSN, RN]

Replies like this scare me for the future of nursing.

Why would it? Cheating nursing students may not even make it far. And if you're scared, quit now.

[CuriousMe]

Why would it? Cheating nursing students may not even make it far. And if you're scared, quit now.

For two reasons:

A) as you said the cheaters MAY not make it....but they may...

B) For the silent accomplice, what else is it OK for a nurse to witness/know about but not report?

There's to much at stake to not operate ethically.

[iPink, BSN, RN]

They MAY make it out of the program, but not on the NCLEX; if they do, it'll show up.

If they're "friends," why not try to encourage NOT to take this route, especially knowing their grades are good anyways. Remind them of the possible consequences of going down this route. Don't quick to report, especially if you call them "friend."

[okredrobot]

...at the end of the day; regardless of the situation...you need to worry only about yourself. Friends come and go... an RN license stays forever.

[CuriousMe]

They MAY make it out of the program, but not on the NCLEX; if they do, it'll show up.

If they're "friends," why not try to encourage NOT to take this route, especially knowing their grades are good anyways. Remind them of the possible consequences of going down this route. Don't quick to report, especially if you call them "friend."

You put a lot of faith in one exam. They could still pass the NCLEX. My concern is not what they do or do not know, it's that they'll be nurses who are showing that they have no ethics.

If they were friends, they wouldn't be including another friend in their misdeeds. How can someone be a friend who you can't trust?

[llg, PhD, RN]

This is too big to ignore. You must report them or you yourself will be guilty of unethical behavior and fully deserving of severe punishment. That kind of behavior must not be tolerated.

I'm sorry that you find yourself in this position -- and I know that it won't be easy to report the guilty students. But life isn't always easy. Sometimes, we have to do the difficult thing.

[khiasdestiny]

Nope I wouldn't snitch, especially if they are my friends. How would you feel knowing you got your "friend" kicked out the Nursing program? Worry about yourself, sooner or later it will catch up to them.

[CuriousMe]

Nope I wouldn't snitch, especially if they are my friends. How would you feel knowing you got your "friend" kicked out the Nursing program? Worry about yourself, sooner or later it will catch up to them.

Reporting cheating doesn't get someone kicked out....cheating does and snitching is a schoolyard concept, in the adult world if you don't report things like this, you're considered an accomplice.

[canigraduate]

I'm in nursing school now, and I would report anybody in a New York minute if they were cheating. To paraphrase a saying, the only thing evil needs to succeed is for good people to look the other way. Don't facilitate evil, PLEASE!

If you are worried about your friendship with these people, confront them directly and let them know that you feel what they are doing is unethical. Maybe that will be enough for them to reconsider what they are doing. If not, let them know you will have to report them for what they are doing, and if they still won't stop, then report them.

One more thing to consider is that cheaters don't stop cheating once they graduate, they just cheat in a different setting.