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?

[NJ2008]

Ah, so she did not realize it was really cheating. Ok makes sense. It is a good thing that you let Jesus take the wheel. Asking God for guidance is always the best way to go. Your did the right thing. I am glad things worked out where you did not have to tell on her. God bless.

[llg, PhD, RN]

I talked to the person with the test info, told them the seriousness of the situation before the info could be passed around and blow up into a bigger problem (they did not even realize how serious this is... I know that's hard to believe but this person is very naive), and they will come clean without me even having to give the "Turn yourself in or I'll do it for you" ultimatum because they know that it is the right thing to do. Let me repeat that, this person is turning themself in regardless of the consequences because they recognize have made an error in judgement and compromised their character/integrity and want to do what is right. I hope that God honors their integrity as he has honored mine in what has been a pretty difficult situation but could have been way worse. I did talk to the prof but did not have to give names b/c the person confessed on their own.

Watch who you associate with. Show me your friends and I'll show you your future.

Great job! I'm happy to read such a good resolution to this situation.

[That Guy, BSN, RN, EMT-B]

I have been tossin and turning and praying about this and have been trying to see what is the best thing to do as a follower of Christ, as a future nurse, and as a friend. I talked to the person with the test info, told them the seriousness of the situation before the info could be passed around and blow up into a bigger problem (they did not even realize how serious this is... I know that's hard to believe but this person is very naive), and they will come clean without me even having to give the "Turn yourself in or I'll do it for you" ultimatum because they know that it is the right thing to do. Let me repeat that, this person is turning themself in regardless of the consequences because they recognize have made an error in judgement and compromised their character/integrity and want to do what is right. I hope that God honors their integrity as he has honored mine in what has been a pretty difficult situation but could have been way worse. I did talk to the prof but did not have to give names b/c the person confessed on their own.

Watch who you associate with. Show me your friends and I'll show you your future.

Wow thanks for doing the right thing and being a good friend

[HardworkeRN1234]

Wow, I would have asked them for a copy of the exam and used it. Then said, "I am very glad that God gave me these tests so that I can go enjoy my life a little more instead of studying more than necessary for material that I am going to forget the next week anyway."

[cgravier]

they didnt know stealing a test and copying it was cheating? *** thats even more stupid than the actual cheating. Im calling shenanigins on that one.

[chicagoing, ADN, RN]

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.

That doesn't make any sense.

The friend would may get kicked out as a result of the friend's cheating.

[mystory, BSN, RN]

I would keep my mouth shut.

[decembergrad2011, BSN, RN]

Let me preface this by stating that I have witnessed cheating throughout my nursing program on non-important assignments where proof was lacking, and this is where my viewpoint arises from. Personally I believe that assignments that are meant to be for increased individual student knowledge and are not assigned a grade are less of a dilemma that what has been presented here. I do believe that an old exam acquired under deceptive purposes that will be used for the intent of aiding a student's test score is unfair, unethical, and should be reported in some capacity. However, in light of the last post from the OP about a resolution (and I hope you will continue to update, OP!), I want to take the conversation in another direction possibly.

In my Leadership class, we talked a lot about acting as managers to evaluate systems in place for care. One of the audits we talked about for measuring quality was a process audit. In a process audit, the employees involved in a system are assumed to be making mistakes because of the process used, not their own skills and limitations. An example would be in looking at the percentage of med errors in all nurses utilizing an electronic medication record and electronic medication cabinet rather than examining each individual nurse and their medication errors.

Keeping this in mind, and focusing on the process rather than individual students, I have some questions for the nursing school to consider:

1. Are students being admitted to the program who have demonstrated the capacity for ethical behavior? The work performance and ethical standards of employees are often evaluated through references, resumes, work history, and background checks. Increasing the ethical standards of the students admitted to a particular nursing program, which is turn would decrease the chances of deceptive behavior, could take place in the form of utilizing background checks, asking for reference letters, and including essay response questions on nursing school applications in addition to GPA, work history, etc.

2. Has the program defined cheating? Let's be real: every program can be different in how many resources and how much sharing of those resources is allowed between teacher and student, and student and student. For example, allowing a student to copy my notes when they were absent is not considered cheating at my school, but it may not be allowed everywhere, especially if attendance is strictly enforced. On assignments where group work is allowed at my school, it is typically clearly stated to be teamwork oriented in nature. Professors should make a point to discuss whether assignment types in their course are open for group work and help from other students. While my school allows students to confer on assignments that are not graded without consequence, and encourages peer tutoring and assistance, another program might have different standards for non-graded assignments.

3. Do students in the program have the opportunity to cheat? My main question for the OP was going to be regarding the acquisition of the old exams. Were students in previous semesters allowed to copy and retain their old exams? Disallowing this practice would greatly decrease the risk of a test bank being passed around amongst students. My program allows time for a post-test review compared next to a scantron printout of student results (which students can keep), but does not allow notes to be taken or copies of the test booklet to leave the room, and personal items must be placed at the back of the review room as students arrive. As well, a professor who is using the same exam questions year after year puts students in a position of greater risk of learning and discussing exam questions amongst semesters. Changing the exact wording without changing the concept being tested might be a pain in the butt for an overworked professor, but ultimately it will make their exams hard to replicate, from memory or by stealing a physical copy.

4. Is there support in place for students who are struggling with material? I acknowledge that there are individual who cheat because of a decreased work ethic rather than struggles grasping the material. However, I have to think that many people do cheat because they fear failure. Nursing programs that offer tutoring assistance, professors willing to hold office hours, exam review sessions, NCLEX books and computer testing programs, and student organizations are more likely to be supportive of students who may struggle with material. For example, many of my professors throughout my courses required one on one meetings for students who scored less than passing on any exam. The individual meetings included a review the exam, discussion of strategies for improvement, and chance for the professors to provide feedback to the student and answer questions about content.

5. Is there a system of reporting unethical behavior? Discussion of reporting also helps students to identify ethical dilemmas in regards to cheating. This is what this thread discussed - an ethical dilemma. The OP had to decide between loyalty to her friends and ethical standards of a nursing student - both valued character traits to her. While one option may easily outweigh the other upon examination, the situation still is not easy for the person(s) involved. Students having the support to come forward, as well as knowledge that it won't necessarily be an easy situation, will make them more likely to report deceptive behavior. Students who are more likely to cheat can be deterred if there is explicit knowledge of a reporting system.

6. Are there systematic policies and procedures in place to define consequences for unethical behavior? If students are unaware that their actions have consequences, they are less likely to be deterred. Directly opening up that conversation to students allows them to realize that there may be a component of desperation while attending nursing school, and that despite those feelings, the short-term gain of being less stressed, anxious, or having to work less intensely to gain proficiency are outweighed by potential long-term consequences that threaten their placement in the program. I know that if I cheat as defined by my program, I will be kicked out. That's quite the incentive to not cheat, and because I have other resources in place, I have never once found myself in a position to consider it throughout my two and a half years in my program.

I think saying that these friends are "losers" is uncalled for, and taking quite a black and white approach to the situation. Are there nursing students who cheat their way through school, make it out, and are dangerous in their practice because of it? Most definitely. And should those individuals who are deceptive or unethical be dealt with on a case by case basis? Yes. However, I don't think that nursing programs should sit back, see problems with deceptive behavior or falling ethical standards in their students, and choose to only deal with it as if those students were simply bad eggs. We all are human and we all make mistakes. I have made mistakes in nursing school, and I have been reprimanded appropriately for them. However, the way that my program has functioned in those situations has allowed me to see that a systems approach to ensuring quality allows individuals to blossom in an environment that supports their success. And on the other side of the spectrum, it fosters a sense of personal responsibility even further because when issues arise, there are policies and procedures in place that unequivocally can state what needs to happen for that scenario. There can't be the same blame displaced that the system was ineffective if staff and professors in that program ultimately work to create a process. If steps are taken to decrease students' need to cheat and ability to cheat, and increase awareness of what cheating is and how it will be handled, I believe that more students in a given program will use alternative routes and available support services to maintain their progress.

And believe me, even in the real world, while going to management about deceptive behavior may work on a case by case basis and rid institutions of unsafe practice and unethical behavior in particular nurses, it's a short-sighted process for dealing with unethical behavior and unsafe practice in general. The environment that nurses are placed in can have a large impact on their success and actions, despite their ethical and moral leanings. As a BSN nursing student, I have learned that critically thinking about the situation and how it may contribute in full is better than categorizing individuals as "bad" overall. I hope to take this viewpoint into the hospital/community setting if and when I am in a leadership role. I don't want to have to simply depend on my employees to do the right thing - I want them aware of how best they can function in a system that supports their success.

[caliotter3]

It will be interesting to find out what the instructor did to the student.

[ajeanpants]

I sincerely appreciate everyone's input and I hope that it can help others if they are in a similar situation. I believe that I did the right thing. If my friend would not have come forward, I probably would have still spoke with the professor about it. As the rumor mill in my class has started up this week about the situation and as professors have begun to speak with my class about the issue, I have felt so peaceful and proud of myself to know that I acted with integrity. I would encourage anyone in the situation to do the same, not for just your/your class's/your professor's sake, but for the sake of your future patients and coworkers. This girl (or I!) could work with you or be your family member's nurse one day, and I am hopeful that my actions have helped to provide nurses who will act with integrity.

I feel that my place in the situation is over, so I will not talk about it anymore because now it is just between my friend and the school. Have a great day! Good luck on finals everyone! :)

[caliotter3]

Sorry that you now feel that this girl's business is no longer suitable to share. I hope the instructor read this thread.

[BerryHappy]

My two cents is to observe, but keep your mouth shut. It all comes out eventually. Cheating on one test in nursing school may not fail you, but it will catch up to you. Nursing school education all builds on itself. If you cheat and don't LEARN on the small things, you will NEVER do well on the big things. Don't participate, and definitely find new friends.

Good luck!