Moral/Ethical Advice

[chinacatSN]

Hi, all. I'm an LPN student and I need some advice on a moral/ethical issue about one of my classmates.

Some background info: My class is mostly not-your-average students - most of us are in our mid-to-late twenties and early thirties, but quite a few are in their 40's and 50's. We all get a long pretty well - which is a miracle, a whole bunch of women shoved together (there's only one man in our class). Most of us are pretty tight nit and no one goes running to our instructor over little minuscule issues - such as so-and-so's tattoo is showing or so-and-so didn't do that, blah, blah, blah. But I've recently come into some information that is a HUGE issue.

A woman in my class recently told me that she hasn't written a single paper - a woman she works with writes the papers for her. This woman asks my classmate to take her shifts and in exchange for working these shifts, the woman writes the papers for my classmate.

I really like my classmate - but this really, really IRRITATES me. I have been working my butt off - trying to do clinicals, care plans, study for tests, write papers - well, all of you know the workload nursing students deal with. Not only that, but I have a 3 yr old at home and a husband who works sometimes as much as 70 hours a week, give or take. My classmate, on the other hand, has several children but they're all grown (the youngest is 17) and her husband is disabled and receives disability - he stays home all day, does ALL the cleaning and cooking, manages the entire household so that his wife can focus on school. I know it's wrong, but I wouldn't be so irritated if this classmate of mine was a single mom with several kids to raise on her own or something - at least then I could empathize. What makes me even more irritated is that this woman has all this help from her husband, someone else writes her papers for her, and she supposedly has tons of time to study - and she's barely passing!

Anyway, enough of my rambling - what should I do? Should I talk to my instructor face-to-face? Should I leave an anonymous note? Should I send her an email? Should I not tell her at all? Guys, I really don't know what to do. I live in a small town, I have to deal with these women for another 4-5 months and I don't want them to find out and think of me as a snitch - but I really don't think it's fair for someone to be skating by like this when all the rest of us are working our butts off, earning the good grades we receive, and she's having someone else do half the work for her!

Please reply as soon as you can. Thanks for your advice!

[anon695]

Since you have no proof that somebody else writes her papers, it wouldn't be wise for you to tell the instructors. The other student will deny the accusation, state that you have no proof, and YOU will be the one who gets in trouble.

[Sniper RN]

Keep out of it.

If she is doing that, she will get caught eventually, if not, oh well. All you have is hearsay. It really isn't your problem. Just do your work the way you should and worry about you. You can't spend your life getting upset about little crap people try to get away with, it will consume you if you do. Keep yourself focused on getting the best grade you can on what you do.

[~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN]

I think 'see' in this context is arbitrary. It would be semantics to argue that because you didn't visually see the cheating occur you aren't obligated to uphold your school's honour code. You are aware of the cheating in some form or another - therefore you have born a metaphorical witness to it and thus seen it in some sense of the word.

I think, in this circumstance, you are in fact obligated to abide by your school's honour code. You are aware of cheating that is going on. I think that's enough to be obliged to report it via your school's honour code/

I disagree, if you don't see someone cheating how do you even know they are cheating. If I am in class an allegedly person A is cheating. I don't see it at all. But person B comes to me gossiping that Person A cheated. So I go and report person A without ever witnessing a thing and with no proof. But I did it off of gossip. Maybe person B was trying to start rumors because they didn't like person A.

This scenario isn't even a test taking scenario. It's an ALLEGED scenario of someone writing a paper for someone else. There is no proof this is occurring, the OP admitted their reasons for wanting to tell were because it's not "fair" that this person has tons of free time and a husband that does everything for her.

In this particular scenario I personally wouldn't pursue reporting it unless I had more to go off of. If the OP comes off the same way they come off here if they report it than I think it will be clear the "reporting" is coming out of spite and resentment and not because someone is truly concerned. That's how it comes off to me here.

[CuriousMe]

It's so sad how many folks on this board choose to take the easy way, instead of doing the right thing.

[OB-nurse2013, BSN, RN]

Wow I really emphasize with you. I am in a similar issue as well, my husband works many hours as well since I am in school and take care of our two lil ones. I think if you are going to do anything I would just talk to your classmate and tell her how you feel. Whether it upsets her or not she won't be able to say anything cause she will be worries you might tell and it will probably make you feel much better.

On another note, I do not think you are jealous of your classmate. I know when you are in a position like you or I are with husbands working a ton and little kids at home and everything on our back and ta daa we still can get A's its very incredibly frustrating..I know beause I had a similar situation. There was a very young single girl taht lived at home in my class that I caught cheating on a very important exam. I chose to keep quiet because of another long story. I was so angry though-if i wake up with my kids at 5:30 every morning take care of them, our house, and everything else and then manage to stay up at night studying to get an A there is no excuse for anyone to have to cheat.

As far as the people that wrote its not a big deal because she's not using drugs or endangering her patients I beg to differ. One thing for sure she is not learning what she should be to properly care for her patients. Secondly with such poor ethics I don't think that is someone that should be making such important decisons and holding someones health and well beings in her hands. Sorry if tahts sounds harsh but I recently completed a medical and bio ethics course.

[ParkerBC,MSN,RN, PhD, RN]

Nurses are held to a much higher standard than the public. We are in positions of trust and honor. Why do you think we undergo extensive background checks and requirements to become nurses? The public entrusts us with their health and overall well-being. I am surprised by the responses to this post. If the person is having someone else write her papers, what else do you think she would be willing to do as a nurse? Do you suppose that if she forgot to pass medication to a patient that she would sign off that the medication was passed to avoid getting into trouble? I do. Only this time, she isn't cheating on a paper, she is taking away the patient's fundamental right to quality care.

For those of you who think it is childish to "rat someone out" or think that people should mind their own business, you should reconsider your career choice. Your responses have also shed light onto your character as well.

To the OP: You can send an anonymous letter to the professor. In that letter tell her what was told to you. Suggest that there should be a small writing assignment in class so that she can compare the writing style to the work turned in. Each new class I take, there is a written assignment due on the first day of class for this very reason. Also, if she told you, she probably has told others in the class and there may be a few of you with this ethical dilemma.

And for the record...if the person who is cheating tells the OP, that is not hearsay. Hearsay is if she was told by a third party about the lady cheating.

[That Guy, BSN, RN, EMT-B]

It's so sad how many folks on this board choose to take the easy way, instead of doing the right thing.

x100000000

Everytime these cheating threads come up it is always the same. Kinda sad really

[lifelearningrn, BSN, RN]

I don't think it would be wrong to report her... but I also wonder what exactly the school can do about it without any proof whatsoever.

Plagiarism is difficult to prove when the papers aren't actually lifted from previously published work or work that has already been put through systems like turnitin. The work she is submitting is 'original' in that respect and without requiring her to sit in class and provide a writing sample to be analyzed by a professional to match the styles... there is NOTHING to prove she isn't doing the work.

You can turn her in (I'd do it anonymously) but I wouldn't expect to see anything done about it.

[my3suns]

It's so sad how many folks on this board choose to take the easy way, instead of doing the right thing.

Unfortunately for the OP there is no "easy" way out. If she does nothing we see it will bother her. If she goes and tells or writes a note, unless the class mate told any one else it is her word against the OP and that is not enough to get the lady kicked out. They will still have to do class together and then there is the friction.

[Tarabara]

Wow I am shocked at how many people are saying to let it go or that its not the OPs business! That is truly sad to me If the student in question really is writing her own papers why in the heck would she tell the OP that she wasnt? That makes absolutely no sense, the argument that because she didnt see it means it might not be happening is ridiculous. There is a reason that in nursing school you have to have a 77% to pass- a higher standard than almost all professions- because we want nurses who actually know their stuff! She isnt writing her own papers and is still barely passing, i wouldnt want her as my nurse! Why should the OP leave that to fate and just hope she gets caught or fails?? Take action now! If you're really worried about being a "snitch" then just write an anonymous letter saying what you were told by this classmate and that you'd like it looked into. If you write an anonymous letter nothing bad can come of it, but bad can certainly come from her cheating!

[AddisonLawrence03]

That's exactly why people should keep their personal business to themselves; I never tell anyone how much support I get from my family so I can pursue nursing because it incites jealousy in other people. I realize that not everybody has the support system to help them get through life, and sometimes just mentioning how much support you get from your family can cause one to have enemies. I learned this the hard way.

I don't think you should report your classmate because you don't have any solid proof that she is actually having another person write her papers for her. She can easily argue that she did it herself. I think you should stay out of it or you'll easily create enemies as a result.

[CuriousMe]

I don't think it would be wrong to report her... but I also wonder what exactly the school can do about it without any proof whatsoever.

Plagiarism is difficult to prove when the papers aren't actually lifted from previously published work or work that has already been put through systems like turnitin. The work she is submitting is 'original' in that respect and without requiring her to sit in class and provide a writing sample to be analyzed by a professional to match the styles... there is NOTHING to prove she isn't doing the work.

You can turn her in (I'd do it anonymously) but I wouldn't expect to see anything done about it.

ParkerBeanCurd (just two posts above yours) details out what can be done quite well.

It's not the OP's job to prove anything, it's the OP's responsibility to report what she knows. After that it's the school's responsibility.