Integrity - Should I say something

allnurses Guide · Jul 31, 2019

You are quite welcome. Sounds like a person to avoid.

KrysyRN, BSN · Jul 31, 2019

22 minutes ago, MickyMb2 said:
I know this person has a rough background and I don't wabt to be responsible for ruining someone's life.

This is beside the point. Cheating and stealing (as you described) are not ok. I would definitely suggest reporting this. Who knows..maybe instead of ruining her life, you might actually save it. It may be the wake-up call she needs to get back on a good track.

Sour Lemon · Jul 31, 2019

27 minutes ago, MickyMb2 said:
Thank you for this response I appreciate the input. This is exactly where my head is going because of the patient's and I think if you can steal this one small thing what is stopping you from stealing from the hospital, medications,etc.At the same time I also think, I know this person has a rough background and I don't wabt to be responsible for ruining someone's life.

This sounds like gray area, to me. I wouldn't elect to involve myself unless I had very certain, very solid, proof of wrongdoing directly related to nursing ...and I was 100% that some significant action would be taken.

AnnieRN33 · Aug 1, 2019

While I think you've gotten lots of great advice already I just feel compelled to insert my two cents (whatever it's worth). I agree that cheating is wrong. However, I would make sure this was happening before I said anything to any school official. Most all schools I'm aware of have a zero tolerance policy that would result in dismissal from a program, or at least the class. If you report the cheating; I would hope that the school would do their due diligence in investigating. After all, anyone can say anything about anyone and I would hope they would need actual proof before they expel a student for cheating (this would also keep them from being accepted into other nursing programs most likely). If you don't report the cheating; the most likely scenario is that this person will not make it through the licensing period if they are in fact cheating. Most colleges make it so that you would have to be David Copperfield to pull off cheating. Even if you do it successfully some, if that method ever fails or becomes unavailable (memorizing answers) they're done like Sunday roast. Each semester becomes progressively "harder" as the information builds on itself. And good luck cheating the licensing exam. I think they require permission and supervision to fart. Follow your gut here but my advice is to apply logic and be sure of what you saw (I wouldn't report on second hand accounts). On the racist thing tho I would confront the student myself. What a previous reply mentioned is right; people can have their own opinions in their personal lives even if we think those opinions are unintelligent and appalling. If they aren't voicing these opinions at the workplace or otherwise effecting patient care/working environment I'd say they're irrelevant. I would tell the person that their behavior/speech is offensive and unprofessional and ask that they refrain in the future. The instance you described actually doesn't sound racist to me? Even if you aren't Hispanic it's considered rude to not speak Spanish to a native speaker if you're able. I would ask this also; if this person was a stranger that you didn't know or suspect to be racist and they posted a picture/video of them and someone from Finland with a caption that said "thank you sir" in Finnish would you still think it racist? If the answer is yes then voice your opinion to the person in question. Today most HR departments have policies on visible social media/behavior so if anyone's going to advertise offensive content they're going to run into problems eventually. Not to mention offended coworkers or God forbid patients! I'm sure there are other things you've witnessed from this person that are coloring your interpretation here, and your probably right but just to play devil's advocate I would think twice in the way I handle it. Use logic, stick to facts, and apply ethics along with personal morals.

allnurses Guide · Aug 1, 2019

1 hour ago, AnnieRN33 said:
However, I would make sure this was happening before I said anything to any school official.

On the previous page, the OP said the school was already aware of the cheating.

RNNPICU, BSN, RN · Aug 1, 2019

With regards to a racist comment, I speak spanish and have worked a lot with hispanic communites, saying "Gracis senor" with a picture of a maintainence worker could easily be interpreted as Thank you Sir. Not sure how it could be a racist sentiment. At least the school knows about the cheating. You may not know the response of the school because things like that are typically kept confidential.

guest416560 · Aug 1, 2019

Unless you have hard core proof of the academic misconduct I wouldn't get involved. Don't create a problem. Mind your own business.

happerhiker44 · Aug 1, 2019

I would only tell administration of the objective things you've seen, such as cheating on a test and stealing. I wouldn't mention the recording, because he may not mean it in that context. Stealing and cheating aren't things that should be taken lightly, if he is able to become an RN cheating the whole way through--what will he be like in the real world setting? In the end I'm sure it'd catch up to him.

Regardless of how the school responds to it, this will be better off for him. They could either talk to him and give him some type of punishment (like a probation and having to be present to open lab for a certain amount of hrs/week), or get him kicked out--which probably can't happen unless there is evidence, or they follow up and pay closer attention to him. Either way, this could help him take things more seriously and/or make him realize that nursing isn't the best career path for him.

Snatchedwig, BSN, CNA, LPN, RN · Aug 1, 2019

I would mind my business. Has nothing to do with you or actual patient care.

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FolksBtrippin, BSN, RN · Aug 1, 2019

On 7/31/2019 at 12:09 AM, MickyMb2 said:
I was not present for the filming of the video, so I cannot say 100% with confidence that it was. But knowing this person and their previous actions and that they do not speak spanish as a language I can only assume.

You should not assume.

FolksBtrippin, BSN, RN · Aug 2, 2019

On 7/30/2019 at 11:26 PM, MickyMb2 said:
Hi everyone I am conflicted on this issue.
This person I know who is a fellow colleague has got me conflicted on a moral level. I do not know if I should go to administration about this or just leave it alone because we are still students and I don't want to ruin someone's life. This person I know has said multiple no so nice things about other races in my presence and just now posted a recording of a someone with the label "gracias senor", I have also physically seen this person steal and cheat on a quiz. I am so conflicted because I think that these things are so wrong and unbecoming of a nurse but at the same time is it my business to get involved and let someone know or do I just leave it alone and let this person dig their own grave eventually? Please help!!!

Integrity is not about other people. Your integrity is about YOU. Your integrity is who you are.

If you want to have a strong integrity then you need to search your own character. Judge yourself and hold yourself to a very high standard. And do the opposite with others. Be lenient and forgiving and always give people the benefit of the doubt.

That is integrity. It is not your job to make sure that anyone else will be a good nurse. That is what you need to be doing for yourself and if you are focused on others you are not paying attention to what is important. Get humble, do your work, study hard, never cheat, strive to get better, learn, learn, learn. That is how you become a good nurse. Stand up for your patient if you have to, even if it means going against someone bigger, stronger, more powerful than you. That is integrity.

Let the cheaters fail NCLEX as they inevitably will; some of them many, many times. If someone offends you, remove yourself from their presence and speak to them only as necessary for school.

Do not fool yourself into thinking that you can ruin someone else's life. You can't. And no one can ruin yours.

Rionoir, ADN, RN · Aug 2, 2019

As a student, they are protected by free speech laws if it is a public university. There is case law on this already. The only reason he could get in trouble for that with the school is if it is a private school or if the person he was making derogatory remarks towards was a fellow student.

If the school is already aware of the cheating, there really isn't anything else for you to report.