grrrr...(venting)

Nursing Students General Students

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WARNING- The sole purpose of this post is for me to vent my frustrations of today!!!

Today we had a substitute teacher. To make a loooooooong story short I caught one of my classmates cheating. Instead of approaching her and asking her to stop (like I should have) I told the sub - assuming that she would approach the student. Well - she didn't. So today I told my instructor about what happened yesterday and she told me that there is nothing that she can do about it without evidence (even though there are about a half dozen witnesses) and that she would encourage me to confront the student still - let her know that I saw what she was doing and ask her not to do it again. UGG....it pisses me off. The girl was so blantent in her cheating as well. i'm just so angry that she is going to get away with it.....and yes...I KNOW....when it comes to the boards she won't be able to cheat and it'll all catch up with her...whatever. i'm still mad....just needed to vent a lil and get it all off of my chest.

thanks....

claire

Carleigh -

Yes...we have an honor code too and it states that it is part of our obligation to report "cheaters". There is a no tolerance for cheaters but only if it can be proved (aka - the instructor must witness it) which she didn't. I understand why she can not act on it....it is frustrating non the less. Oh well....my anger has subsided a bit and like you all said...anyone that has to cheat on a tiny little med term quiz will probably not make past second semester let alone boards!

Thanks all for listening - it helped!!!!

-CK

Carleigh -

Yes...we have an honor code too and it states that it is part of our obligation to report "cheaters". There is a no tolerance for cheaters but only if it can be proved (aka - the instructor must witness it) which she didn't. I understand why she can not act on it....it is frustrating non the less. Oh well....my anger has subsided a bit and like you all said...anyone that has to cheat on a tiny little med term quiz will probably not make past second semester let alone boards!

Thanks all for listening - it helped!!!!

-CK

An episode similar to this came up on our med test. We are required to show our work. One student had answer's that did not match his/her work. He/she was accused of cheating, and the instructor's made him/her show that the work. This person was unable to show their work on one of 3 problems, and the instructor's then dismissed the student from the college -- not just the program, but the entire college forever! The student went to the dean and was reinstated, as the instructor did not SEE the student cheat.

Whether or not the student cheated is not for me to say. I sit where no one is by me, I do my own work and no one can copy off my papers. I choose to isolate myself that way, because I usually do fairly well and have had people copy me. The next test this student isolated themself so they will never have to face an accusation again.

THANK YOU ALL FOR PUTTING THIS IN PERSPECTIVE FOR ME. If the student is cheating, has cheated etc. they will never be able to pass their boards so why should I worry about it? NCLEX will get them in the end.

An episode similar to this came up on our med test. We are required to show our work. One student had answer's that did not match his/her work. He/she was accused of cheating, and the instructor's made him/her show that the work. This person was unable to show their work on one of 3 problems, and the instructor's then dismissed the student from the college -- not just the program, but the entire college forever! The student went to the dean and was reinstated, as the instructor did not SEE the student cheat.

Whether or not the student cheated is not for me to say. I sit where no one is by me, I do my own work and no one can copy off my papers. I choose to isolate myself that way, because I usually do fairly well and have had people copy me. The next test this student isolated themself so they will never have to face an accusation again.

THANK YOU ALL FOR PUTTING THIS IN PERSPECTIVE FOR ME. If the student is cheating, has cheated etc. they will never be able to pass their boards so why should I worry about it? NCLEX will get them in the end.

I'm probably gonna get yelled at for this one. But if a student is cheating I don't think another student should report it to the instructor. Because it's the instructor's JOB to make sure that students are not cheating. Not another student. As everyone stated what goes around comes around she will not pass the boards if she's cheating now.

College is not grade school! People are adults and as long as it's not affecting your grade and you are studying and understanding the material why should you care about who's cheating?

I'm sorry you are entitled to your behaviour but I'm entitled to think that it's very childish as well. I'm not attacking you and I'm not trying to start a fight:kiss

I'm just saying how I feel about the situation.

Please guys no flames at me:chuckle

And NO I DON'T CHEAT. As long as I understand the material and I get my grades by being honest why should I care about the next person.

I'm probably gonna get yelled at for this one. But if a student is cheating I don't think another student should report it to the instructor. Because it's the instructor's JOB to make sure that students are not cheating. Not another student. As everyone stated what goes around comes around she will not pass the boards if she's cheating now.

College is not grade school! People are adults and as long as it's not affecting your grade and you are studying and understanding the material why should you care about who's cheating?

I'm sorry you are entitled to your behaviour but I'm entitled to think that it's very childish as well. I'm not attacking you and I'm not trying to start a fight:kiss

I'm just saying how I feel about the situation.

Please guys no flames at me:chuckle

And NO I DON'T CHEAT. As long as I understand the material and I get my grades by being honest why should I care about the next person.

nursing 101 - I just wanted to post a reply to your post. I'm not exaclty disagreeing with you BUT....we reported it because it is part of the honor code we signed at the begining of the year. YES - I do agree that it is the instructors job to insure that students don't post - but the problem was that we had a substitute for the class. The way I explained it to one of my classmates was "if you saw another nurses stealing drugs would you report it? would you confront the person?" I would and personally, I didn't find this to be much different. It says a lot about her honesty, her integrity .... she is not the type of person that belongs in nursing....(in my opinion)

Anyway...thanks all for your opinions - they are what I love about this board!!!!

--CK

My Micrbiology teacher informed us at the beginning of the semester that we would receive an immediate "F" and be dismissed if she caught any of us cheating. And sitting with any students who have NOT yet taken an exam and discussing what was ON that exam is considered cheating too. Not just during an exam.

cakarol,

Over the course of several years while completing a couple degrees I encountered a few students who cheated during exams. It made me especially angry when they tried to copy my work. I dealt with the problem by reporting those students.

When you report them you must do it in an anonymous way. You never know how people will react, and you do not want to become the target of a violent act. The person who thinks nothing of cheating might turn out to be the same one who becomes angry enough to attack you.

The method of reporting I use is to type a detailed letter describing what I saw. I have not used names when reporting the offenders. Instead, I carefully described the area of the room where the cheating occurred. You could go one step further and identify the cheater, however. In the letter I advise the instructor to take action from this day forward, or I will send a second letter to the department chairperson. Then I place the letter in an envelope and slide it under the instructor's door. To ensure that the instructor has received and acknowledged the letter I often include some instructions, such as asking the instructor to write the date and time of the final exam on the board at the beginning of next class.

I have found the above action very effective. An instructor does not like to deal with cheating, but when the individual also has to deal with the chance that an unidentified student might take the matter to someone higher, then the instructor always takes action.

Do not try to console yourself with the idea that the cheater will not pass the board exam. You deserve to become a nurse and she does not. For all you know she might later pass and then some day use these same dishonest tactics in the workplace to steal narcotics. You can stop her anonymously now.

Cakarol,

Last year, when the teacher left the room during a test, one student turned around and asked two people the answers to a question. They were dumbfounded by that and just ignored her request. I had finished my test and had left the room, so I wasn't a witness, but instead of reporting her, they just talked about it with everyone else. Finally, I went to our teacher and didin't reveal any names, but told her that I didn't see it but others did and they don't know what to do. She told me to encourage them to tell. They didn't that time but it happened several times after that and several of us reported it. No teacher ever saw her, so even though they believed us, they didn't feel like they could do anything. This person also has no business being a nurse. She has a purse full of perscrition meds she is always offering to us for a simple headache and a hyperactive son who is always swallowing something toxic or falling from some amazing height. He also put his newborn sister in the tub with him and drowned her when he was two, so we wonder, "who is watching this child?" She was ostrasized (sp?) quickly and finally flunked out of Pharmacology Math and hasn't been heard from since. Our school is very prestigous and holds honor up in the highest esteem, but they were also between a rock and a hard place. Oddly enough, she was really good with patients when clinicals started. But I digress.

If this classmate of yours has to cheat now, she will feel the need later, believe me. It gets harder and she will either be found out or flunk out, so do what you feel is right and be patient. You have done the right thing. Hang in there and be extra careful, now that this has happened, to keep your nose clean in every instance and avoid even the illusion of impropriety. :) God bless you!

Jill

Specializes in MS Home Health.

I don't blame you but you might want to let it go. I agree with the previous post, when the boards come you will be sure to shine whereas the other person may not.

renerian

Let It Go! Just focus on you getting out of the program.

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