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!
Helping each other out on take home projects is cheating? Don't people work in groups often on homework and projects?
Every time I've had an instructor that gives these kinds of homework they have encouraged us to work with our classmates.
I guess your teacher has come out and said,"DO NOT WORK TOGETHER ON ANY OF THIS!"? Because if not, I think weather or not this is cheating may be debatable.
Her laziness WILL come back to bite her. Either she won't make it through the class or boards due to poor exam grades. She can't have her friend take the Boards for her. If she can't even write a paper on her own, my feeling is that she won't make it through the program.
I took care of a pt after a nurse that cheated all through school and passed her boards. She was charting that the pt was sleeping when in fact he was unresponsive. Na was 100 and pCO2 was well over 100. Her laziness came back to bite the pt in the ass, not her. It is a sad thing when people take this approach when it will cost the life of someone else.
So, just to be sure I have this right.....folks are only supposed to do the right thing, if the other person will be punished? If we're not sure they'll be punished, then we can take the easy way out?
Gotta love moral relativism...
I have a different perspective. There is right and there is wrong....what the school does or doesn't do, doesn't impact what is right and what is wrong. I live up to my responsibilities, do what I know is right and let others live up to theirs.
I don't think her education is any of your business, period. Focus on your own issues and don't be such an envious busybody. I've been in nursing school with people like you and it's a real drag. I've been a good student and on the deans list. I can get an A on tests without barely studying--thank God. My personal life is very hectic with a disabled child. If I was offered someone to write my papers, I'd jump on it. I'd still be a great nurse at the end of the day. So, get off, and worry about yourself. She's either going to be a good nurse, or a rotten nurse, regardless of if she's writing those papers herself. I personally think the writing's a bore and a time waster. I think it's just filler--stuffed into the curriculum to kill time.
I don't think her education is any of your business, period. Focus on your own issues and don't be such an envious busybody. I've been in nursing school with people like you and it's a real drag. I've been a good student and on the deans list. I can get an A on tests without barely studying--thank God. My personal life is very hectic with a disabled child. If I was offered someone to write my papers, I'd jump on it. I'd still be a great nurse at the end of the day. So, get off, and worry about yourself. She's either going to be a good nurse, or a rotten nurse, regardless of if she's writing those papers herself. I personally think the writing's a bore and a time waster. I think it's just filler--stuffed into the curriculum to kill time.
I would discuss with the person and give her the chance to do the right thing before approaching the school. Knowing that someone disproves may be enough for her to change her ways. She should tell on herself and deal with the consequences but I wouldn't hold my breath. Keep in mind also that if she is "barely passing" the issue may take care of itself before you have to do anything at all.
It's interesting that in a thread about morals and ethics and doing the right thing there has been such snarky posting. Seriously, some of the messages have been downright hostile and condescending in tone. This isn't necessary. Nor is it productive.
Giving and taking offense is rarely a good substitute for effective communication. And we don't even know these people!
Please, let's return to a more civil tone. That doesn't mean we all have to hug each other and sing camp songs. It would just be nice if there could be gracious dissent rather than cheap shots and harsh rebuttals.
I still want to know how the OP claims that this person is barely passing..but they will be in the RN program together? A program they state only accepts the top LPN students. Like I said, something is being left out or not told accurately
Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.
It's interesting that in a thread about morals and ethics and doing the right thing there has been such snarky posting. Seriously, some of the messages have been downright hostile and condescending in tone. This isn't necessary. Nor is it productive.
Giving and taking offense is rarely a good substitute for effective communication. And we don't even know these people!
Please, let's return to a more civil tone. That doesn't mean we all have to hug each other and sing camp songs. It would just be nice if there could be gracious dissent rather than cheap shots and harsh rebuttals.
Thank you.
I would give 100 kudos to this if I could. Well said.
Whether or not the "barely passing" peer has 2 housemaids or 8 children is irrelevant, it shouldn't even be part of the equation. Either the person is doing their own work, or they are not.
Whether or not the OP has proof is irrelevant. It is her duty to report her suspicions, and then the onus is on the school. Period. Her involvement is over with, and the outcome is between the school and the peer.
The part about losing sleep at night is very telling, it means you know what is right, and your conscience knows it. If you are worried about repercussions, by all means send a message anonymously (I wouldn't do it anonymously, I always try to "own" my actions, but that's just me).
Doing the right thing isn't always easy, but it's always right.
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lifelearningrn, BSN, RN
2,622 Posts
Helping each other out on take home projects is cheating? Don't people work in groups often on homework and projects?
Every time I've had an instructor that gives these kinds of homework they have encouraged us to work with our classmates.
I guess your teacher has come out and said,"DO NOT WORK TOGETHER ON ANY OF THIS!"? Because if not, I think weather or not this is cheating may be debatable.