TheCoppertop

Latest Activity

1. All dressed up, nowhere to go!

   TheCoppertop posted a topic in Travel

   Venting!! Is this a slow time to get interviews? Feeling discouraged! i've been fully vetted by two larger, good reputation agencies and submitted to a couple jobs Dec 22. Sure its going to be slow over the holidays but thought for sure I'd hear some...

2. HELP! New Grad Travel Nursing

   TheCoppertop replied to PeepoSoosh's topic in Travel

   Definitely no!!! I started as a med surg nurse on a tele floor in 2008.. all I wanted was to do ER but there were no spots open. So I did the MS gig for three months, talked to the ER nurses when they brought up patients, made friends, met the direct...

3. What are your pet peeves?

   TheCoppertop replied to forgop's topic in Emergency

   I think I've been doing it too long, the pt ridiculousness barely even peeves me anymore. I just expect them to not know the name of a single med they're on, except of course "Dilaudid 6mg three times a day, Soma 3 times a day, and Ativan 1mg four ti...

4. Whats your biggest pet peeve working in the ED?

   TheCoppertop replied to Whts_Ur_Emergency?'s topic in Emergency

   My biggest pet peeve lately is management! I work in a craaazy busy ED and end-year overtime has been forbidden. So we start off every day with minimum staff, and if there are any call-offs, we're screwed. They'll try and call in nurses for 4 hour sh...

5. Best one sentence handoff report

   TheCoppertop replied to emtb2rn's topic in Emergency

   From EMS: "22yo male acute onset chest pain during apprehension by law enforcement."

6. Ugh, those "I'm so stupid" moments

   TheCoppertop replied to TheCoppertop's topic in Emergency

   Thanks iluvivt! I always listen to the patient too, and just this week I started 2 18s on grateful pts who told me the back of their forearm is the only place they can get a vein, and both thanked me "for listening" as they both said nurses usually d...

7. Ugh, those "I'm so stupid" moments

   TheCoppertop replied to TheCoppertop's topic in Emergency

   Thanks to all who replied! I know I did the right thing for the patient and I do feel better about it now. I'm at a L1 Trauma center and I'm surprised RNs cant do EJs, I've done quite a few at my previous jobs! I'm in that new job "prove myself" peri...

8. Ugh, those "I'm so stupid" moments

   TheCoppertop posted a topic in Emergency

   I've been an ED nurse for 5 years and just moved to a new state, a new job. I'm as confident as I can be after 5 years, I definitely don't know it all but I can hold my own. Yesterday, my 2nd week off orientation I had a critical care room with 2 bad...

9. Custom badge buddy/reference suggestions

   TheCoppertop replied to Murse901's topic in Emergency

   I did that a lot as a new nurse. I found myself looking on the cards a lot so then I started a game, I'd answer it myself, then check the card to be sure, and soon I didn't need pedi vs, celcius/fahrenheit conversions, etc anymore. Its a good way to ...

10. Preparation/advice for precepting student?

    TheCoppertop replied to Cohiba's topic in Emergency

    Volunteer to help with whatever you can, but not at the neglect of your own pts. Ask questions! You should stop by beforehand and see if there are protocols for workups and study those if you can. You'll soon see trends like every abd pain gets a UA ...

11. My heart is set on the emergency field but...

    TheCoppertop replied to KLBatchelor's topic in Emergency

    Best advice I ever got as a new nurse dealt with a horrifically sick child. Kid came in, was soon intubated, naked on the bed and all I could think of was my son, about the same age. I was brand new, standing in a corner completely frozen and shocked...

12. What was the MOST ridiculous thing a patient came to the ER for?

    TheCoppertop replied to JUSTYSMOM's topic in Emergency

    Lol 2 come to mind.One a guy around 30 who checked in as chest pain, then told the doc he was really there because he just found out that a place he worked at 10 years ago, was found to contain asbestos and he wanted to get checked.Best triage sign-i...

13. Verbal Abuse...I Gave What I Got...

    TheCoppertop replied to abundantjoy07's topic in Emergency

    I had one that unfortunately, I blew my top over. Yall don't need to shame me, I got lucky on this one but it is definitely my low point as a nurse. He came in, acting disoriented, stating in triage that he "took too many pills" we rushed him in thi...

14. How do you handle the drug seekers?

    TheCoppertop replied to itsnowornever's topic in Emergency

    Its a tough one. There's no way around it. I struggle with keeping it impersonal because really, it can feel very personal sometimes. I worked at a small community hospital, very rural, and therefore the seekers didn't have shopping options. We'd get...

15. Vent: Why I won't accompany my mother to the ER anymore

    TheCoppertop replied to BelgianRN's topic in Emergency

    Kudos to you for bringing food! I always find it hilarious when a pt announces her child is a nurse, its said with soo much pride and yes the sane ones usually do look mortified (its the ones who buck up their chests like "you've been WARNED" that ar...