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.
I am shocked that someone would have this much influence with coworkers to get you all to write papers for her, no matter what the whine. I can't even comprehend the b**** one would need to have to expect this out of coworkers. Age is no excuse and doesn't make one's brain stop working and become incapable of learning.
I hate papers so much at this point in my grad school I can't believe you would do one willingly for someone else.
Agreed! I am 52 and in RN school! I do my own work and help others when I can! So, no your brain does not stop working. You are capable of learning at any age.
I almost did it myself to help out a very hardworking friend at work who was facing a deadline for one of those weekly assignments. Instead of doing that, I took the admission and told her to use her break and bang it out. She never asked me again. We had an unspoken understanding that if she was studying, I would watch out for everything else, within reason. In a way, I kept her on task. This became our routine and I did not mind. She is going to be a fantastic NP. ( This is not the same girl who is buying a capstone paper for $600)There are a lot of ways to support your night time student coworkers besides helping them cheat.
Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.
I was taking A&P II over the summer awhile ago with a friend from my LVN program. I was surprised at how this girl acted. She would come in late (she worked PDN, no excuse), be on her phone throughout lecture & piggyback off of other people.
This prof offered extra credit, one way was to do chapter outlines for every chapter. Remind you this was for the summer session & I did every one by myself. Now the summer class is almost over & I'm busting my behind to get these done. She has the audacity to come up to me & ask if she can copy them! Of course I tell her no. No way in heck can she copy all my work & get the same credit for them. I busted my rump for that extra credit. Of course she found someone else to copy off of.
I would've had no problem splitting the work & then sharing answers. But I would not do all the work for her. Of course, she got into the BSN program we both applied to & I didn't. And, of course she unfriended me & stopped talking to me after that as well.
I almost did it myself to help out a very hardworking friend at work who was facing a deadline for one of those weekly assignments. Instead of doing that, I took the admission and told her to use her break and bang it out. She never asked me again. We had an unspoken understanding that if she was studying, I would watch out for everything else, within reason. In a way, I kept her on task. This became our routine and I did not mind. She is going to be a fantastic NP. There are a lot of ways to support your night time student coworkers besides helping them cheat.
My father worked night shift in a hospital setting. His coworker was getting his bachelor's degree. My father so respected him for getting an education that he would carry the load on the shift while the coworker slept or did schoolwork. This is the way to help your coworker and for your coworker to help you.
I posted a thread about APA. I struggle with it as well. I have PERRLA and the citing is not a problem. I just worry about the references so much I spew out gobbledeygook. My papers are the weakest part of my ongoing schooling, and I've never had difficulty writing. I have done APA style with my first degree 25 years ago. I'm struggling now. So...I try harder.
Your manager is a selfish idiot.
I am a bit bitter reading this because my old Teflon manager did this as well. She had a Master's level nurse (who I have known for 20 years and used to respect) do all her statistics homework and write her papers. She used to close the door and do homework. When I quit I told HR the reasons I left, PART of which was the closed door homework sessions. She was an entitled piece of crap.
My friend is lucky I found out about her "help" with our manager way after I left.
My father worked night shift in a hospital setting. His coworker was getting his bachelor's degree. My father so respected him for getting an education that he would carry the load on the shift while the coworker slept or did schoolwork. This is the way to help your coworker and for your coworker to help you.
I was taking A&P II over the summer awhile ago with a friend from my LVN program. I was surprised at how this girl acted. She would come in late (she worked PDN, no excuse), be on her phone throughout lecture & piggyback off of other people.
This prof offered extra credit, one way was to do chapter outlines for every chapter. Remind you this was for the summer session & I did every one by myself. Now the summer class is almost over & I'm busting my behind to get these done. She has the audacity to come up to me & ask if she can copy them! Of course I tell her no. No way in heck can she copy all my work & get the same credit for them. I busted my rump for that extra credit. Of course she found someone else to copy off of.
I would've had no problem splitting the work & then sharing answers. But I would not do all the work for her. Of course, she got into the BSN program we both applied to & I didn't. And, of course she unfriended me & stopped talking to me after that as well.
This is it. THIS is my biggest pet peeve. Short cuts. I'm sick of it.
Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.
This is it. THIS is my biggest pet peeve. Short cuts. I'm sick of it.
I assume two things. She either failed out of the BSN program or cheated her way through it. It bothered me at first when she got in. But I know it will catch up with her.
So, in answer to you question, newboy, how NOT to aid? Know who you are. Respect what you have done to get where you are, let others walk the walk that you have. Carrying people does not help them, it just hurts your back in the end. (Unless you use proper body mechanics. I swear that's not a LIE!)
I assume two things. She either failed out of the BSN program or cheated her way through it. It bothered me at first when she got in. But I know it will catch up with her.
Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.
And I'm sorry you didn't get it. You will.
I did some snooping. I found a picture to a ring ceremony, so she apparently has made it through the program. But I looked up her name on the BON & she has disciplinary action against her license.
I was slightly sympathetic until you said you weren't willing to do the hard thing and report this breach of ethics. You weren't willing to do the hard thing when she asked you to do the paper either. Both of these decisions say a lot about you as a person and none of it is good. It is what you are choosing to show about yourself, what you are choosing to act (or not act) upon and it WILL (and should) affect how you view yourself. These types of actions absolutely define who you are as a person, no matter what you proclaim to the contrary. You will have to live with it either way. How disappointing, particularly considering the fall out for you coming forward is likely to be nil. It is cowardly.
Here's the thing. I may seem like I'm just verbalizing my values and not backing them up through my actions to you. You don't know me. I agree that our actions say more about who we are than our words. But I'm not going to let ONE negative action define me, especially when I've had so many other positive, defining moments throughout my life. But again, you don't know me. You only know what I did now. I did cheat. I own up to that. And moving forward, I'll never do it again. I don't have to report someone in order to feel secure about my values. I just have to do what's best for me, and that's never putting myself in that position again.
. I need to tell her no, but I'm not really sure how.
futurepsychrn, ADN
188 Posts
Agreed! I am 52 and in RN school! I do my own work and help others when I can! So, no your brain does not stop working. You are capable of learning at any age.