I Wish I Could Get Away with It...

Published

One of our patients is a nursing student. She is feeling much better and is really only there for IV antibiotics because all of her other issues have resolved. She has apparently missed quite a bit of school because she had to take an online test yesterday and her instructor wouldn't give her more time even though she was in the hospital. I felt sort of bad for her because of that, but there was nothing I could do.

Well...the feeling bad for her feeling went away pretty quickly. We were told to stay out of the room until she opened the door and let us know she was done with her test. Her call light went off, so I went in to answer it, despite the door still being closed. Her sister, who is an RN was using the patient's laptop and as I walked by, I noticed that to top of the screen had the college's logo on it and it was opened to the college's testing site. (I took classes there too, so I am familiar with the site). The patient had a textbook in front of her and was saying something about, "The book says it usually takes about three hours." The patient threw a pen across the room and yelled at me to get out when I walked over to turn the call light off...she had just bumped it.

So...apparently, the sister was taking the test while the patient looked up answers in the book. I've taken a lot of online classes and most of the time, using the book is not a problem, but the sister actually taking the test bothers me.

I know there is nothing I can do about it and it really has no effect on me, but it really irks me that she is apparently cheating. The hospital I work at gave this person a scholarship to help pay for school, so she might end up working there someday. A part of me would really like to report her, but I know there is no way I can...and it doesn't seem like it would serve any purpose anyway.

Thanks for listening!

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Why can't you report her?

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Specializes in Home Health.

My ex-nurse manager actually wanted me to take a course for her online. I don't her I didn't think it was very ethical.

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When I was reading this the first thing that came to mind was that the sister was typing whilst the patient was looking up the answers? Is this a possibility or do you think that the sister was just doing the test herself?

Unfortunately, I think it would turn into a your word vs hers situation if you reported her to the school. I don't think there is anything you can do, but I hope if she is cheating that she gets cuaght some other way :@

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Specializes in CCU MICU Rapid Response.

How about an anonymous email to the hospital and the school? Maybe that would put a bee in someone's bonnet without you looking like a bad guy?? I do totally agree with you and if I would have walked in on the same situation it would be me posting the same question. The scary thing of the whole matter aside from cheating is that the cheating student may someday be a licensed nurse... eesh. Ivanna

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When I was reading this the first thing that came to mind was that the sister was typing whilst the patient was looking up the answers? Is this a possibility or do you think that the sister was just doing the test herself?

Unfortunately, I think it would turn into a your word vs hers situation if you reported her to the school. I don't think there is anything you can do, but I hope if she is cheating that she gets cuaght some other way :@

That's a definite possibility, but most of the tests are set up so that while you can look up answers, you really need to know the material well...sometimes they would have seventy quiestions to be answered in fifty minutes. There is time to look things up, but overall you had better know the answers without the book. I really think the sister was doing the majority of the test and the patient was looking up things they weren't sure about.

I don't see much way I could report her without a HIPAA issue...and it would be my word against hers, so it wouldn't matter anyway.

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Specializes in Certified Med/Surg tele, and other stuff.

Well, she won't have her sister during the NCLEX.

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Specializes in Hospice.

I took my test online and we were allowed to use books...........I don't think that her sister would be able to help very much because those questions are so picky.........btw i went postal if my husband or my kids tried to talk to me during those test.....our test were usually 75 minutes with 1.5 minutes for each question and towards the end you had to just go with your gut......i used every second.

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Specializes in CCU, cardiac tele, NICU.
The scary thing of the whole matter aside from cheating is that the cheating student may someday be a licensed nurse... eesh. Ivanna

I honestly don't think it's worth getting involved. She's going to have to pass NCLEX before getting licensed, and NCLEX is hard enough when you pay attention and do your own work in nursing school.

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It will catch up with her eventually.

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Specializes in Onco, palliative care, PCU, HH, hospice.

Well, one day when/if she's a nurse I'm sure she'll have a patient throw something at her when all she'll be trying to do is address their needs, that's just how Karma works.

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Specializes in MSP, Informatics.

I say life is too short, nothing is fair in life.... and get on with yours. Would it help you to report her? let karma get her. don't get involved.

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