Eh, I'm going to get flamed for this, but here goes. My supervisor is going back to school for her BSN. She's been in school for about a year now, but hasn't done too many essays or papers. Why not? Because she has the nursing staff doing her school work for her. I have no idea how she manages to pass since different people have different writing styles, but whatever.
I'll admit, I wrote one paper. I'm against cheating and I cringed while doing it, but the "I'm 60, how can my school expect me to learn APA at my age" talk won me over. I have a soft spot for people like that (my mother was the exact same way but never got to finish school) but now my supervisor is asking me to do a whole research project . I need to tell her no, but I'm not really sure how.
I already told myself I will never help her cheat again, but now I need help telling HER that without succumbing to her "I can't do this, I need you" speeches.
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
I'm against cheating, I could never live with the guilt anyway but..
OP, you know her, is she a nurse whomis being unethically pushed into this just to keep her job and make a living so close to retirement because of the new BSN requirement? Or is she a passive agressive controlling opportunistic witch who'll have your head if you don't help?
I wouldn't turn the first one in, I just couldn't, not based on asking for help alone. She's too close to retirement and likely to be aged out anyway, I would let life's chips handle her.
I just don't agree with the way BSN is being handled. I'm for all nurses holding a higher degree but I think at a certain point existing ADNs should have been grandfathered in at their current positions. And telling a well performing 60 yr old to fit in obtaining a BSN on top of earning a living in today's kick ass healthcare culture or return to back breaking 12 hr bedside care that her 60 yr old body likely would struggle with is an unethical way to treat a good nurse. (..if she's a good nurse who has put in devoted years)
Both are wrong, but out of the two I wouldn't be the one to crucify the senior nurse, the circumstances she's facing are going to get her anyway.
I would however tell her NFW will I do her research paper for her and I'd also tell her straight up that it's not right for her to ask any of us.
If all she wanted was "help", newsboy's offer to proofread her paper for her would have been help enough. She's cheating. Just plain cheating. That says something about her integrity, doesn't it?
I'm close enough to 60 as it doesn't matter, and I'm still doing the "back breaking 12 hr bedside care that her 60 year old body likely would struggle with." I don't see the bedside as a punishment. If someone doesn't have the qualifications for their job and isn't willing to GET the qualifications, perhaps that particular job isn't where they should be. The "new" BSN requirement isn't so new, and she could have been working on it, one class at a time, for the last decade or so.
I'm not out to crucify a senior nurse; I AM a senior nurse. I am, however, in favor of ethical behavior and in NOT enabling UNethical behavior. I'm sorry that she didn't use her "preferred schedule" to work on her BSN sooner. Or decide that it wasn't worth it to her to get a BSN and voluntarily step down to that "backbreaking 12 hour bedside care." (On that: I thought newboy worked in mental health, not LTC or ICU or Med/Surg. It was my understanding that poop clean-ups and total care were relatively infrequent in that specialty. I'm not saying "unheard of", but certainly you wouldn't expect to spend your 12 hour shift cleaning up a 450 pound paraplegic with C. Diff over and over.)
Here's my update. I told her no. This lady is a rant queen, and she tried me. I'm not worried about her giving me a bad evaluation. I haven't even thought about that to be honest. She just plays the victim card all too well to get what she wants. That's just what she does. Anyways, I offered to help her with APA and she declined so I already know what that means - she'll ask someone else to do it. Anyways, I'm done. Cheaters never prosper.
And someone else will do it so Ms. Rant Queen Victim still cheats and gets what she wants!
I'm glad you said no. And I'm also glad you told us, knowing you would get flamed.
I don't think she's a peach by any means. But I don't know if she's decrepit or what her work options would be. Most here would report her to her school or employer but I wouldn't, not based on what I understand is going on. I would confront her though, that's my style.
And when you all are forced to get your BSN or lose your job, I'm going to feel for the ones who have already put decades in, I'm sure not going to apologize for that.
The update with her continued ranting certainly lowers her integrity even more. I wouldn't be able to stand having her be my supervisor.
I don't think she's a peach by any means. But I don't know if she's decrepit or what her work options would be. Most here would report her to her school or employer but I wouldn't, not based on what I understand is going on. I would confront her though, that's my style.
And when you all are forced to get your BSN or lose your job, I'm going to feel for the ones who have already put decades in, I'm sure not going to apologize for that.
I feel for us, too. It sucks going back to school to stay marketable. But that's life.
This rant lady is going to crash and burn. She is headed for termination and this could turn into an age discrimination EEOC case or unemployment claim. Sorry OP but your silence serves her not your employer not your coworkers and your management is going to question your judgement going forward. It is for the best that you come forward to protect your professional reputation. Put yourself in the new CNOs place. She can not help the staff if no one comes forward. The sooner that you do the sooner you can put this all behind you. It is just a life experience. One that gave us all a lot to think about. If that helps.
Op, good for you! That takes a great deal of courage to stand up for what is the right thing.
And if asked again, (which hopefully you will not be) I would again say that if she gives you a copy of the paper, you will generate an APA program for her and help her with that, if you are so inclined.
I would be very up in the air regarding reporting this. It could come back to you in the form of a bad review, crap assignments, and you taking on a greater load if someone is "doing her paper" when they should be working.
Which brings me to another thought. If the papers are being done at work, the computers can track this. And see that the person logged into said computer is NOT the supervisor. Additionally, if people are receiving payment from her for doing this, it is double dipping/conflict of interest if this is being done on work time, on work computers.
Yes, it does really stink that someone who has years of experience is told they need more education to do a job that they have done for years. But for this supervisor to justify this in any way by having her subordinates get the degree for her is telling. I can only imagine the creative ways she completes exams. Again, if this is all being done at work, it can be tracked.....
Specializes in Mental Health, Emergency, Surgical.
Give the OP a break. The supervisor obviously put him under a lot of pressure, which is totally different from student-student pressure.
OP sounds like he wants out so there is no need to berate him for the past that he cannot change.
I would be very wary in reporting her. You will go down if you report her and your job position may become untenable. If she is found out some other way (even anonymously...), do you really think she will report you for helping or will she say "ok, I cheated on essay X but not essay Y or Z." Essay Y being the one you wrote. She will deny everything she's not caught for.
My advice is to hand her the APA templates, say you're really sorry but you can't write it, end of discussion. And then IF you decide to report her, do it anon.
One way to say no is to choose a sentence and repeat it. Eg.
Supervisor: "When can you write that assignment for me?"
You: "I won't be able to do that, S. Here are the templates for APA style. Your college probably has online resources to assist writing research reports but I really can't help you write it."
S: "Ohhhhhh but whine, whine, whine.
Y: I understand that but I can't help you write it.
S: but I'm old and waaaaaah
Y: I'm sorry but I can't help you write the essay.
S: but what am I going to dooooooo
Y: I don't know but I can't help you write it.
S: pleeeeeeease
Y: I can't help you write it, [name].
Don't make excuses because you don't owe her any reasons. She knows it is wrong.
Make up an excuse and lie and say no ? Don't really see the dilemma. But then again maybe I'm just good at not doing things for people I don't wanna do..
Or just be honest. "I don't feel comfortable doing this for you sorry" and maybe append--"I don't wanna be responsible for you getting a bad grade"
Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
People actually WRITE the paper. It's a whole big underground business. I read an article about it a couple years ago.
So when you pay good money, you actually get original papers, not plagiarism.
Some people choose to use papers that have already been written; that is what I was referring to. In my most recent course we were warned by the professor that she checked our papers to make sure they were not already written.
. I need to tell her no, but I'm not really sure how.
Ruby Vee, BSN
17 Articles; 14,051 Posts
If all she wanted was "help", newsboy's offer to proofread her paper for her would have been help enough. She's cheating. Just plain cheating. That says something about her integrity, doesn't it?
I'm close enough to 60 as it doesn't matter, and I'm still doing the "back breaking 12 hr bedside care that her 60 year old body likely would struggle with." I don't see the bedside as a punishment. If someone doesn't have the qualifications for their job and isn't willing to GET the qualifications, perhaps that particular job isn't where they should be. The "new" BSN requirement isn't so new, and she could have been working on it, one class at a time, for the last decade or so.
I'm not out to crucify a senior nurse; I AM a senior nurse. I am, however, in favor of ethical behavior and in NOT enabling UNethical behavior. I'm sorry that she didn't use her "preferred schedule" to work on her BSN sooner. Or decide that it wasn't worth it to her to get a BSN and voluntarily step down to that "backbreaking 12 hour bedside care." (On that: I thought newboy worked in mental health, not LTC or ICU or Med/Surg. It was my understanding that poop clean-ups and total care were relatively infrequent in that specialty. I'm not saying "unheard of", but certainly you wouldn't expect to spend your 12 hour shift cleaning up a 450 pound paraplegic with C. Diff over and over.)