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.
This was a bad idea but they cannot retroactively take his MSN from him. The cheating is on the part of the student who submits someone else's work as their own. That is why test taking and paper writing services are such big business. All of the risk is with the student not the service. If I write your paper and the University finds out what can they do to me? It's like buying fake designer bags and jewelry. It is a crime to make them but not to buy and own them. Suggest that she buy PERRLA software and don't write for her anymore. If she is silly enough to expose her neck like that at work she will get taken out by someone even if they just want her position.
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
*Puts on armor*
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.
This one seems so easy I must be missing something. Just say no. Which is what you should have said the first time.
I bet she was playing the sympathy card with some of you, making someone at her age have to get her BSN so unfair after "putting her years in."
I couldn't turn her in without turning myself in, how hypocritical that would be.
I think I might say, "oh my gosh no way, they'll be running the research papers thru the plagerism checker for sure, at the very least they will throw you out! But let me know if you need help with the format after you've written it."
Your supervisor indicated she was too "old" to learn APA, yet you didn't just help her with APA format you wrote an entire paper. She used you. That trick may not have worked with the others who she's also using. But she is finding their weak spot and getting away with it. She is using her age, position, whatever it takes to manipulate people to get what she wants at their expense. It feels icky to find out you been used. And that you can't see it completely mystifies me.
Well, come to think about it I guess you do feel guilty that something very wrong is going on or you wouldn't have come here for support. OK, let me calm down and offer my undivided support that what she is coercing you to do is not worthy of you. If you have any respect for academic degrees (or is your own degree one of those purchased from an online degree factory - I know that was harsh but I wanted to show what degree dilution leaves you open to) then this must stop and she must be told this is not how you earn a degree.
Stuff like this causes me personal embarrassment. There are things I am not able to do as effectively because I've got a little mileage on the chassis but sacrificing my integrity is not one of them. She probably feels it's unfair that she has to get a stupid BSN at this point in her career and to stick it to administration just how little respect she has for that stupid degree she's gonna cheat her way to a few stupid initials that don't mean anything.
I happen to disagree with that mentality. I want to believe that people work hard for their titles and I want to give them the respect they deserve. I was in a graduate program and didn't finish. I just didn't want to do the work it would have taken so no advanced degree for me. It would never have occurred to me to coerce or manipulate someone to do the work for me.
I am so sorry you got drawn into the suction of this sinking ship.
I'm sure there is a direct, non threatening way to tell the cheater you have thought on the situation and now regret providing more than supportive assistance. You would still be happy to share your expertise from honestly gaining your own degree but cannot do academic work she is expected to learn for herself. As far as turning her in to her school, that would take a bit more brass than it seems like you want to muster. She may get a more astute professor in another class that will catch on to her "writing style" and grade her accordingly. I hope she is not too "old" to gain some insight from this ill-conceived plan to game the system.
I would love to hear how this plays out and if any of our suggestions proved helpful.
I can't believe you wrote a paper for her to begin with. You need to start saying no, now. You don't need a reason. Just say no.
Because when she goes down (& she will) she will start naming names. So if you don't tell her school what is going on, you will go down will the ship.
I agree this is all wrong and she should not be supervising. I'd also think her position is influencing her staff to feel obligated to do this. Harassment? Save any info you have about the first paper in case she retaliates when you say no.
But how can the actual writer get in trouble? Are you writing her papers on work time? Do you go to the school she is going to? Not thinking that is an issue.
This topic hits home for me due to the academic dishonesty I have seen at work. It cheapens the degree that I worked so hard for and that angers me. The OP's supervisor is taking advantage of her position or friendships, and fostering an environment of low ethics and that angers me even more.
Because this is an ongoing situation, I believe that the honorable thing for the OP to do is to ask the nursing administration to intervene. This RN Supervisor has crossed the line; she has caused the OP, and maybe other employees as well, to experience a lot of internal conflict, and she needs to go.
Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.
I agree this is all wrong and she should not be supervising. I'd also think her position is influencing her staff to feel obligated to do this. Harassment? Save any info you have about the first paper in case she retaliates when you say no.
But how can the actual writer get in trouble? Are you writing her papers on work time? Do you go to the school she is going to? Not thinking that is an issue.
Ish always hits the fan. The paper writers might not get in trouble with the school but if their work (DON & any higher ups) catches wind of this I'm sure they will be less than pleased.
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
I never said I thought it was okay to help her cheat. Obviously it wasn't okay, but what's done is done. All I can do is learn from my mistake and, as another poster stated, hope I don't crash and burn if there's a fallout. I don't condone cheating. I know it was wrong. As for my supervisor thinking it's okay... well, that's her demon.
The thing is, you DID condone cheating. You're a cheater, too. I cannot understand why you did it if you knew it was wrong. But you're right. You can't change the past.
Definitely just say no! I don't even share my flash cards when people have asked me what I'm studying and how I do it. I mean, I will tell them how I set it up and give them tips so they can DO IT ON THEIR OWN but sorry no, I will not do all the work and then you can just study off of the hours I've put into making my flash cards to study. Make your own and then study them!
So writing an entire paper for someone is out of the question for me. I don't like doing it for myself (I can but I don't like it!) why would I do it for someone else? Supervisor or not!
And i would be pissed that this type of person would be my supervisor.
. I need to tell her no, but I'm not really sure how.
Conqueror+, BSN, RN
1,457 Posts
This was a bad idea but they cannot retroactively take his MSN from him. The cheating is on the part of the student who submits someone else's work as their own. That is why test taking and paper writing services are such big business. All of the risk is with the student not the service. If I write your paper and the University finds out what can they do to me? It's like buying fake designer bags and jewelry. It is a crime to make them but not to buy and own them. Suggest that she buy PERRLA software and don't write for her anymore. If she is silly enough to expose her neck like that at work she will get taken out by someone even if they just want her position.