What to do about a classmate that is a pathological liar?

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I'm looking for some feedback on what I should do about my pathologically lying classmate. The things my classmate lies about range from slightly annoying to potentally illegal. He has been claiming to be a paramedic and holding a position as a flight paramedic at a local hospital. I have looked him up on the state regisitry and the employers website (I work at the same hospital and they are very good about updating quickly and being accurate) and they contradict what he says. I feel like something needs to be done, he lies to everyone including our professors!

Thank you for your help.

Specializes in ER.
Odd we were required to have either PALS or PEPP, ACLS, and BTLS.

We have to continuing education in both pediatric and trauma, but ACLS is the only one required for us. Their reasoning is that not all paramedics transport children. The individual company is the ones that decides the requirements and I think that in order to transport a child, they are supposed to have PALS. I may be mistaken.

My other state requires refreshers but if you get the certs, you can fulfill the requirements of the refresher. It is kind of weird and I have another year before I have to figure out the requirements for that state.

It is a good point that he may not be listed. I would take a look into the NREMT which isn't a true license but just a cert that looks good for most states. It is not a license to practice but you can see if he was recently licensed as a paramedic. It is not required in most states to maintain NREMT status (most use it for the equivalent NCLEX for testing paramedic's initial licensure preparedness) and I will be letting mine drop.

Eventually he will burn himself though. Someone will know someone. There will be a firefighter/paramedic who will know people that work with the flight service and will be able to say if it is true or not. Someone will actually work with them and call him out. We had several flight nurse instructors.

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He has lied about me (not a big lie) to my best nursing school friend (she did not believe him) and I was easily able to disprove him. It just bothers me because he lies to my classmates, most of whom I consider friends. And yes, nursing school is hard but I have to do something on my study breaks :)

You didn't say that beforehand so I'm not sure if you're saying that to provide a better reason as to why his lies are an issue for you or you forgot to mention that his lies include you and your classmates in your OP.

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Specializes in Emergency, Telemetry, Transplant.
If you're gonna be a nurse, you need to get used to being lied to. Patients lie all the time. Right to your face. It's not personal.

I like the entire post by KelRN but since it is right above mine, I will spare you quoting the entire thing. I could practically write a book about what lies patients have told me and my coworkers in the ED.

We are not defending this fellow student for lying. It is incredibly annoying when someone makes stuff up about his/herself to make him/her look better....I have had the opportunity to work with such individuals. However, you just need to accept the fact that you will be lied to...by patients, coworkers, heck, even your employer. I agree that it stinks. I am not happy that it happens, but it does happen. You need to learn which lies you should get worked up over and which you just need to ignore. No need to run to the internet for research each time some tells you something which may be fishy!

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Specializes in Hospice, Palliative Care.

Good day, Brilton:

Having tried to foster to adopt a habitual, pathological liar (who was so good at it, he had professionals fooled for a very long time) for a little over 15 months, here are two pieces of advice:

1. You cannot help them unless they specifically want help; and even if they ask for it -- given they are a pathological liar, they may be doing so only to manipulate those they are asking for help.

2. Unless you are directly impacted in a way that harms you, leave it be. Stay as far away as you can stay away. Like the first person, FlyingScot, who responded to you... mind your own business.... there are many times those simple words will keep your own life safer and more sane.

Eventually the person does get caught.

Thank you.

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To the OP....your only valid gripe is him wasting class time with his stories. For this, you need to speak to the instructor(s) privately, simply asking them to keep "sharing" at a minimum during lecture. I can almost guarent-darn-tee you that they are WELL aware of your classmate's problems. (I had a student like this who brown-nosed me and other faculty ALL the time....it was pathetic and annoying, and did not change his grades or assignements one tiny bit!):banghead:

Otherwise, as four pages of other folks have said, take a chill pill and ignore him. When you can recite all twelve cranial nerves, their functions, and testing methods; trace a drop of blood from the left index finger and back, and know the generic and brand names of the top fifty most prescribed medications...THEN you will have time for him and his issues.

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How long does your classmate really think he can get by fooling his nursing instructors and clinical preceptors into thinking he's a flight paramedic if he actually isn't? Do you realize how fast this guy's going to sink?

OP, he's made his own noose, found his own millstone and has thrown that millstone into the sea. No need to strangle him. He's going to drown anyway.

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Specializes in Intake, Home Care.

Get a life. Seriously who cares. Pretty sure you should redirect your efforts towards passing the NCLEX.

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Yeah, I don't really see how him lying would affect a patient. I'm not so much worried about my professors (it is just to emphasize how outrageous he is being with his lying) or my classmates (he is a joke amongst 90% of my classmates). I'm just wondering if running around and saying, "I'm a paramedic" is illegal. I'm pretty sure it's not legal for me to run around and say, "I'm an RN" or "I'm a police officer." I will not be saying anything but if anyone asks me my thoughts, I'm not going to lie :)

Not illegal for him to call himself a paramedic or even a nurse for that matter. It's only illegal if he tries to work as one when he's not. Since he has a job as a medic he most likely is a medic. You can't just get a job anywhere without showing your license. You have to show that license every 4 years because that's when you have to resubmit. (I know because I'm a paramedic and work in a hospital.) There's a website you can check if you are THAT concerned if he's legit. You can look anyone up by name and last name to verify licensure. Different website for every state though. I've known a medic or two that likes to talk out of their rears so you just have to take it with a grain of salt. He's not doing anything wrong unless he's working as a medic with a suspended license.

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Specializes in Emergency Department.

According to the OP, the person in question isn't actually a Paramedic. This person doesn't show up on the state registry site as a Paramedic and has claimed to work at the same hospital that the OP works at and apparently doesn't actually work there.

I worked with a guy that claimed to be a flight nurse... One day I gave hi s "employer" a call and, of course, they'd never heard of him. The closest he even came to being a nurse was being an ED Tech at a local hospital.

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According to the OP, the person in question isn't actually a Paramedic. This person doesn't show up on the state registry site as a Paramedic and has claimed to work at the same hospital that the OP works at and apparently doesn't actually work there.

I worked with a guy that claimed to be a flight nurse... One day I gave hi s "employer" a call and, of course, they'd never heard of him. The closest he even came to being a nurse was being an ED Tech at a local hospital.

There's tons of reasons he might not show up in registration... misspelled name, changed his name, he goes by his middle name but registered under his real name, etc. For awhile you couldn't find me either because I had gotten married and it took them awhile to get my name changed on the license. Maybe he didn't get his license in your state yet but has a national registration.

And unless you call human resources, how do you know he doesn't work at the same hospital. Not everyone knows everyone else.

Truly, if you could go so far as looking him up on registry and calling human resources, you sound like you are making this a personal vendetta against him. There's nothing illegal about what he is doing. Especially if you have already confirmed he doesn't work at the hospital you work at. He's not working as a medic, flight or otherwise, so who cares if he calls himself one.

But if you decide to call him on it, do it in private.

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Specializes in Emergency Department.
There's tons of reasons he might not show up in registration... misspelled name, changed his name, he goes by his middle name but registered under his real name, etc. For awhile you couldn't find me either because I had gotten married and it took them awhile to get my name changed on the license. Maybe he didn't get his license in your state yet but has a national registration.

And unless you call human resources, how do you know he doesn't work at the same hospital. Not everyone knows everyone else.

Truly, if you could go so far as looking him up on registry and calling human resources, you sound like you are making this a personal vendetta against him. There's nothing illegal about what he is doing. Especially if you have already confirmed he doesn't work at the hospital you work at. He's not working as a medic, flight or otherwise, so who cares if he calls himself one.

But if you decide to call him on it, do it in private.

I very much agree with that statement, but personally, I wouldn't even go that far unless it impacts me directly.

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There's tons of reasons he might not show up in registration... misspelled name, changed his name, he goes by his middle name but registered under his real name, etc. For awhile you couldn't find me either because I had gotten married and it took them awhile to get my name changed on the license. Maybe he didn't get his license in your state yet but has a national registration.

And unless you call human resources, how do you know he doesn't work at the same hospital. Not everyone knows everyone else.

Truly, if you could go so far as looking him up on registry and calling human resources, you sound like you are making this a personal vendetta against him. There's nothing illegal about what he is doing. Especially if you have already confirmed he doesn't work at the hospital you work at. He's not working as a medic, flight or otherwise, so who cares if he calls himself one.

But if you decide to call him on it, do it in private.

That's what I was wondering, IF what he was doing was illegal. Apparently it isn't. Secondly, the person in question DOES work at my hospital (we have an online directory that is really good about being updated and accurate), but does NOT have the job title (or anything similar) he is claiming to have. The state registry pulls his real, FULL name up with 2 completely unrelated liscenses. He may be on a national registry but, as everyone has told me, his lies will catch up to him so I figure I don't need to be involved. However, if I ever personally witness him lie about a patient or patient care, he better watch out!

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