I Wish I Could Get Away with It...

[flashpoint]

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!

[freebirdRN86]

i understand that doing wrong is doing wrong. but the OP doesn't even know the rules of this patient's exam. i've had exams where i've been able to use books and such. if she knw she was blatantly cheating, then maybe, if telling on people is your style, you could do that.

i don't think using books on exam that your taking out of the classroom is anything like stealing narcs and having patient safety issues. there are lines.

it is my duty as a nurse to report instances like such, but it was never our duty as students to tell on others for cheating. and yes, the NCLEX isn't hard, but her critical thinking skills will be tested in the real world. and then, if she doesn't have what it takes, then she will fail on her own.

[rnccf2007, BSN, RN]

and also, i am almost appalled at how many people would say to report her. i do not condone cheating by any means, but are we really that hateful towards those who do wrong enough to possibly ruin their life? i feel that people should worry more about themselves and let God and whoever/whatever you believe in handle the situation. it's an exam. exams definitely sucked, but you cant cheat on the nclex, and she'll have to get passed that first to become a nurse.

like the beatles said ..

LET IT BE

I tend to agree with you to a point... But, what if she passes the NCLEX---and many incompetent nurses have. What will happen to her patients? How can she cheat during a code? Nursing boils down to more than a test! Just remember that an incompetent nurse can ruin many peoples lives. How, as a nurse, can I not worry about an incompetent nurse and just say let God handle the situation?

[sharpeimom]

i've taken several tests that were open book.

could the sister simply have been acting like a secretary and entering her ill sister's answers into the computer for her?

[kanzi monkey]

She's your patient--you're taking care of her medical needs. Whether or not she's cheating on a nursing test is none of your business. I mean, look at everyone you take care of--people who shoot each other, drive drunk and kill innocents, abuse/sell drugs. And some very nice little old ladies. (ok, I'm being facetious here, but seriously, some days I do feel that this is an accurate representation of our general population). You are this girl's NURSE. She is NOT your colleague or classmate. You are NOT accountable for her actions and you shouldn't be. Hopefully she will have some guidance in her life to steer her in a better direction, but that is not up to you.

If you want to report her, that whole pen-throwing business is totally inappropriate and should not be tolerated.

Kan

[alem-tsahai]

OP,

I'm sorry you had to witness that. Ugh, I would have embarrassed the crap out of her if anything. Absolutely trifling. And yeah I would have tipped off the school if I could.

But the posters who are advising you to let karma/God do it's thing?? Get outta here! That's an incompetent nurse in the making! It's actually embarrassing to our profession. What if that woman had been a med student cheating on a test? Would you give her a pass then? Would you still tell the OP "it's not your business"?

Sometimes I wonder if we take our own profession seriously.

[Batman25]

She'll only get away with it but for so long. In the end she will pay the price for not knowing the info when she can't pass the boards.

I have a big issue with her throwing the pen at you. Tell her that's abusive and if she does it again action will be taken. She sounds like a real gem.

[nursing6207]

It is certainly not right or ethical BUT it is none of your business.

Well it kinda is since she walked in on it while trying to do her job, right?

I think it could go either way. Either the sister was reading the questions to her and she was looking it up and giving the answers.. Considering that her sister is a RN, it's unlikely she wasn't helping. It does stink that the professor was making her take the test while she was in the hospital and hadn't been to class to get the material herself from lecture. I think this probably made it tempting for her. Must have been a stressful time since she had been in the hospital and was forced to take a test. I agree, she will have to pass NCLEX in the end. Hopefully, if she really was cheating this would be her only time and she did it bc of the circumstances.

[Batman25]

If you need to go in that room for assessments, meds, etc. you do it. That's your job. Once you go in if she refuses then you document. Don't set yourself up for a liability issue here. If something beeps or goes off in you go. This is a hospital not a college classroom.

[rnccf2007, BSN, RN]

Let me get this straight, we have a future nurse who not only cheats but is abusive. No wonder why nursing will never be truly considered a profession.

[backatit2]

the reality of it is that there are probably a lot of nursing students receiving a scholarship from the hospital who were sitting at home doing the exact same thing. she might have been "busted" because she happened to be in the hospital, but it wouldn't change things in the grand scheme. you couldn't prove it and nothing good would come from it. it's just one of those things.

[rnccf2007, BSN, RN]

Can I work for this hospital? She got a partial scholarship? What do the give to good nurses? Probably a kick in the a.

[GHGoonette, BSN, RN]

On the whole, I agree with Fribblet. If this student was cheating, she deserves to be reported BUT there is no concrete proof that this was the case. Unfortunately OP, I'm with those who advise leave it be. Even if you make an anonymous call to the college, the finger of suspicion is going to point at you as the one who blew the whistle, and you could find yourself involved in a lawsuit.

It's too late to do anything about her childish behaviour in throwing her pen across the room, but I would have asked her if she wanted me to ignore all her call bells, and if so, to please put it in writing....