Question for BSN students

[gpffhdn]

I have a quick question for all BSN students out there.

I have a classmate who's been breaking an academic dishonesty for almost 2 years. First, I didn't know anything. But this semester, I realized that she's been cheating the whole time.

On our school BSN handbook, it says using test banks, collusion, and etc counts as academic dishonesty.

Here's the story. She's been abusing test banks, received photos from a semester above classmate (actual test rationales) and said racist comments towards black students. I believe she broke the rules from NSNA, school code, and etc.

I met with a chair of my program and I turned all the evidence such as rationales photos, she texting people saying racist things about black students in our program, her receiving test banks from her friends, and etc. A chair of nursing was extremely shocked and she was very unhappy. So she copied all my evidence and she said she will take care of it.

However, today I heard that she didn't get kicked out nor anything happened to her. School decided to let her stay. The only reason is that when my program chair interviewed her, she started listing all the students whose been cheating just like her and too many students were involved.

It just doesn't make any sense to me. Even though so many students were involved with academic dishonesty, she told racist comments towards black students, and she's been doing bad things. While other students studied our ass off to survive, she's been cheating the whole time. I think that this is extremely unfair. What can I do to turn these case again?

[purplegal]

Not sure there's much you can do. You brought evidence forth, and now it's their decision whether or not to keep the student. It's not fair, for sure, and the fact that there were a lot of other students involved is not a good excuse (every single one of them should receive disciplinary action), but it's probably out of your hands now. Focus on passing nursing school and forget about this student. Eventually, things will catch up with her. She may end up failing the NCLEX or being fired as a nurse, because, obviously if she's cheating, she's not learning the material. She will not get away with it forever.

[Sour Lemon]

This is something you have no control over. It's not your nursing program and it's not illegal to say mean things about people. It would probably be in your best interest to move forward and worry about yourself. How did you get so involved with what this other individual is doing in the first place?

[Castiela]

Nothing. If you continue to pursue it you will look petty. You don't know what academic restrictions have been placed in him/ her and it's not really your business. As for the racism, it's not a fireable offence as long as it doesn't interfere with patient care or it becomes a public affair and looks poorly on the employer. I'd hazard that the majority of nurses (and people in general) have biases against various groups. It's how you act in those biases and conduct yourself professionally that matters.

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

Moved to general nursing student forum

[bgxyrnf, MSN, RN]

Focus on your own journey and worry not about theirs.

[S7ud3n7_Nur53]

One sad truth about life is that it isn't always fair.

While her lack of punishment was not fair, you must accept that you did your part and wash your hands of this mess. Continue to practice academic honesty in your own life and forget about her and the other students who cheated. Chances are they won't pass the NCLEX anyways and will be dealt what they deserve some time in the future.

[HalfBoiled, BSN, RN]

Frankly, I would have just kept my mouth shut and keep my head low.

Also, I would not partake nor involve myself with that student.

None of my business.

Your classmate will get a rude awakening when she takes her NCLEX.

As far as her "racial slurs," good luck getting a job with that attitude.

[KrCmommy522, BSN, RN]

I agree with OPs. You've done what you can. At this point, keep your distance from the student and focus on yourself. If she has been cheating that whole time, she hasn't been learning the information - she is going to have a very, very rude awakening when it comes time to take the NCLEX. Not to mention, now that the issue has been brought to your school's attention, the faculty has probably been notified and will be possibly (hopefully) changing their testing (such as not using the standard test banks that go with the textbooks) and watching much more closely, so chances are she won't be getting away with cheating anymore (hopefully).

One random question thought - if you weren't involved, how on earth did you get the evidence of the testbanks and rationale photos? She was just blasting these texts out to everyone...I can't believe she didn't get caught earlier!