How did she see your answers?

Ask yourself this, how do you think her patients would feel?

Grouse: It's a discussion forum, so the idea is that we each respond to the questions the prof asks, and then we are to respond to two other students. Everyone's responses are up on the board for all to see.

And mischief, I've totally thought about that. :|

So she could have done the same thing, but if she didn't ask you about it ahead of time or claim that she watched the video with you, you would never have known?

Does your school have any kind of honor system, one that would require you to report academic dishonesty
if you are aware of it?

Since everyone's responses are open, are they timestamped? If so, then what happened should be fairly obvious.

How did she see your answers?

Grouse, if (and that's an "if," mind you!) viachicago's school uses an online discussion forum like my school's, then anyone in the class can log in and see all the posted responses (as opposed to privately emailed essays or responses). It's great for stimulating discussion, but vulnerable to cheating as described here.

Which sucks.

In your shoes, I'd start by telling the other student privately what you've said here: everyone has extenuating circumstances, that you're upset she's appropriated your work and implicated you in her cover story. ("Cheating" is a strong word, one likely to elicit a potent response, so think carefully about whether you want to use it, despite its appropriateness here.)

If I then decided not to take it to the prof or administrator, I'd make it clear that A) I'm entitled to and B) if anything untoward ever happens again, I will absolutely do so.

It might be worth checking your code of conduct/student charter/applicable document to see if you're by-the-book obligated to report cheating.

On totally hot-headed failure to preview (ooooh! Cheating makes me so angry!), I must admit that your prof may very well see the time stamps and the parroting and assess pretty well what's going on.

Her answers are pretty similar to the ones my friend & I composed. Nearly verbatim, in parts. Responses are timestamped, but the professor posted the questions Wednesday and we have until Monday to respond. So when she responded isn't so much a factor.
Having reviewed our school's policy, I don't see that I'm obligated to report it. There was a student caught submitting... I'll say... fraudulent work, and she was allowed back into the program. Unfortunately our policies are not as stringent as I would like.

In nursing school I had two very close pals. One of these friends was married and had a small child. She would copy my test answers or ask for the correct answers in clinicals. I gave her the answers willingly. After a while I got tired of her mooching off my hard work. The last time she asked for an answer I snapped at her in class. I made a brief, annoyed comment along the lines of, "do your own work." She had her feelings hurt and never asked again.

I was young, unmarried, no kids. She had a family and worked full-time as a bartender at a popular restaurant. She had a very busy life. In retrospect I wish I were a little easier on her. I feel guilty for being such a "bitch", even if my anger was justified. I let her copy my answers from the beginning. I wasn't happy with it, but I let it go on. Fuming inside after it became a habit and lashed out. I'm to blame for giving her the answers from the get go.

My old nursing school friend was just given the clinical excellence award for nursing at the hospital where we work. I didn't realize she worked at the same place (we didn't really remained friends after school).

When I saw her photo in the newsletter I commented to a few fellow nurses that I went to school with her. They all raved what a great nurse she was.

I couldn't imagine going back to school now. With kids and work responsibilities it would be a challenge. People do it all the time, and they do it without cheating, but I wish I would have cut her some slack.

I'd say that your prof has set up an environment where it is trivially easy to appropriate someone else's work. I think the responsibility lies with the instructor not to do this. It always irritated me when I was an undergrad.

My concern would be that if answers look similar enough it could just seem to the professor that you worked together and both cheated. Granted, the time stamps should save you on this, but if she tries again it'll start to seem that way.
Yeah, it's tough to go back when you've got kids and this and that. But you know, if you can be seen as an accomplice to cheating, or you can get in trouble for not reporting it should she get caught, that's your ass. Cold as it may be, you need to look out for yourself and your future.