You are right, not a nurse, never wanted to be one
Posted By: Happy girl on 2009-05-14
In Reply to: Tired of hearing that nurses work holidays because...sm - Peg
because my math lacks a lot but always good with spelling and fast typist so MTing was something that fit right in with me. Having said that, why do you stay with this profession if unhappy? I have made as much as a nurse in years past but like everyone else in this job, the pay fell. I have worked Christmas Day but I usually plan to either work very early and take off later for family dinner or if I had young children I would work later in the day or with TTS the last year worked early Thanksgiving and took off Christmas. Most jobs out there are a lot less bending than ours. I worked so many years out in the regular places am glad to work at home, finally.
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Hey Nurse Diesel!! I just wanted to thank
I love your posts and do recognize you when I browse these forums. I keep a constant eye on the Company Forum, keeping track of good company reviews versus bad, etc. I just wanted to thank you for coming back on and giving an honest update of your situation. I used to love my old MTSO, and gave glowing reviews, which were true of my personal situation, but when things went sour on me, I also tried to share that experience as well. It really helps potential MTs in getting a truthful outlook of a company, rather than just the emotional trashing posts or emotional praising posts. Not saying you ever did that, just trying to point out to others the flavor of some posts. It also lets others know that they are not alone in their ups and downs with a particular company. Things are just so unpredictable, even within 1 MTSO. One MT is having their heyday, while another MT on the same account is hemorrhaging $$ due to no work. Its just so bizarre these days. I had thought of Webmedx for a while, fell for the old employer of the year stuff. But I was not accepted as the recruiter doesn't like me from a past experience at another company, and while I understood on 1 hand, it honestly wasn't fair, and I thought I was missing out on perfection. Their loss, though, not mine. I had my choice of employers, and went with my other first choice. I am so glad that I was rejected at Webmedx, as no work situations would have killed me, not acceptable at all in my boat! So, sometimes rejection comes with a silver lining! And the company I went with, while it had been touted for years as the BEST MTSO in the world, well.... it sure is lacking. Looking back over the years at the posts, there were 1 or 2 poor MTs who would try to share a negative experience with this company, and they would be crucified, with the usual blame that they must be lowsy MTs. Well, truth be told, the ones with bad experiences were telling the absolute truth, probably even minimizing their plight, and this company is no more a wonderful company to work for than the next MTSO. I am so depressed about our industry, but I do take comfort that I am not alone in my struggles - I am a top notch professional MT, but this nonsense of no work, etc., just cannot be avoided it seems, by any of us. It has been a humbling experience, as I honestly used to read posts about MTs with no work,and somehow I felt that in some way it had to be the MT. Maybe they only worked the 5th Tuesday of each month, maybe they only typed Consults, etc. So I have learned that skill seems to have nothing to do with anything anymore. The job itself and then the work versus no work, versus work type seems to be just a plain old crap shoot, plain and simple. I may as well spend my days down the street in Vegas, gambling at the casinos! At least I could count on free drinks! Well, again, thanks for sharing your experiences, calmly and honestly, both the good and the bad. It makes at least this MT feel like I am not alone in these trying times. 
Sue, a former nurse AND can do over 600? SM
I'm impressed. Regarding your last point, a little present:
For VR, use your expander's ability to record your Keystrokes to set up macros for all the corrections you typically do, both of words and punctuation. Especially punctuation.
If you jump from word to word, you end up on the next word when you need to insert a comma behind, right? So enter the keystrokes you use to do this in your expander: backspace-comma-space (to return to the first letter of the next word). Then give that macro a 1-keystroke name. Then start doing the same for all the typical and more involved corrections you do. Copy macros you can't make yourself from others.
You're going to find your Expander incredibly helpful, and I'm guessing you'll be breaking 600 typically.
MT vs nurse
Believe it or not, I would rather work at home as an MT for $10 an hour than ever again work in a hospital as an RN, even if the pay exceeded $25 per hour.
My computer doesn't bleed, and 15 jobs don't demand/require my attention all at once. I still only work on one report at a time.
In other words, as an MT, no one is depending on me for their very survival, and I rejoice that I no longer have to depend on a broken system or other individuals to provide my patient the care he/she needs.
Even for those hospital systems that claim to be not-for-profit, the bottom line and top priority is profit. Therefore, they plan to run on as few individuals as the laws will allow. Short-staffing and overwork was a fact of life at every hospital that I ever worked. Home care had its own challenges.
Again, my computer gives me relatively little trouble when compared to my experiences as a nurse working face-to-face with sick and needy people in a sick system that does not always provide what the patient needs when the patient needs it. The money may sound enticing, but the reality was extreme frustration for this nurse!!
Nurse practitioner?
Unless the nurse practitioner is shadowing the doctor, which they usually have their own schedules to follow, how can she accurately dictate his patients??? Great suggestion though?
another nurse turned MT already sm
complaining about the hours, job, etc. If you liked the hours as a nurse, go back to being a nurse.
Geeze I get so tired of everybody in every profession wanting to switch to MTing just to work at home!
So you saying you're "still" a nurse then, SD?
LOL
...or when a nurse is dictating for doctor...
and he doesn't know how to pause dictation. Last week I listened to four 30 minute dictations with only about 100 lines to show for it! Finally the office taught him how to use the system! Rookies ARGHHH!
nurse ratchett (not sure of spelling)
xxx
As Nurse Diesel (love that name) indicates, SM
the number of lines required really isn't that high to reach the incentive level, but you have to produce them on what I presume are the four highest-volume days of the week. Also, Webmedx provides all MTs with the ShortHand Expander program, classes in using it and developing other productivity skills, experts for personal one-on-one help, MT forums for sharing abbreviations and tips, and other help and encouragement designed to bring those line counts and paychecks up.
I wonder if an MT can make as much money as a RN nurse? Curious about that
and wondering
Nurse and exMQ pretty much illustrate SM
the range of possibilities. The rate is high, but it's not a gift--you need to be a good producer for those nice chunks of change to show up in your bank account.
Someone understands my Nurse Diesel reference! Yay! LOL nm
x
Thank you! Just wanted I wanted to hear!
nm.
Thanks for saying what I wanted to say...
We are not the same as Transcend, although we both are good companies. We care about MTs... and I would love to know who the posters are that claim differently.
As Liz says below -- e-mail her or give her a call.
I just wanted to say that I don't believe the
Indian worker is trying to destroy the American dream, they are trying live it. Blame should go to the companies who are taking the work and sending it overseas, not the workers who are given an opportunity to better their life situation. This doesn't mean I agree with off-shoring, I just think blame for the dying of the American MT profession is sometimes misplaced.
I have been following this and I wanted SM
to say that it might not be that you were the only one this happened to---a lot of people just see the $ coming out of the paycheck and don't think they have to confirm that the plan holder got it (because the company should be more trustworthy).
The way these companies are now, it's probably a better thing if you take the check they gave you and found an IRA to invest in yourself. You can also arrange to contribute to it throughout the year (although it will be after-tax money, but you will be able to claim the contribution at the end of the year and get that tax back) out of your own bank account. The situation that happened to you is unacceptable. You are being far more gracious than I would under the same circumstances.
We do not allow job-wanted ads. (SM)
Please feel free to post your resume on the resume bank or search the Job Seeker's board.
In the future, if you have a question about your post, please e-mail the Administator or myself.
Goldbird
I just wanted to know if - sm
it was liked or not. Wondered if it slowed you down at all. I am used to Word and I hate to change if it is a problem software.
Thanks.
Just wanted to say hello...
I start with MDI this week, was just trained yesterday. It's nice to hear there's usually plent of work. :)
No job wanted ads, please. NM
Goldbird
No job-wanted ads, please. SM
Please use are free resume bank or see the ads on Job Seekers board.
Ask about specific companies or specific issues (i.e., the poster below asking which companies have an HMO plan).
If you need help, e-mail me.
Goldbird
just wanted to add...
it sounded very familiar to a presentation presented by a former employer YEARS ago. It was a very small local MTSO, and he was reworking the pay scale in order to cover other expenses. He showed us a pie chart of what a huge chunk MT wages took out of the total revenue (DUH -- would you HAVE revenue without us) and mentioned how we could increase our wages by becoming more productive (the latter, I believe, was mentioned more than once in the DRC/Acusis presentation -- read: don't count on making your current wage -- but you'll be able to offset that by increasing your productivity -- HA). We didn't get the pie chart in this presentation, but it was clear they want a good portion of their revenue to go to research and development.
I'm cautiously optimistic -- I would LOVE to switch careers but at my age it's impossible -- I know because I have tried. Once you have worked at home doing this for X number of years, you basically don't qualify for anything else unless you wish to flip burgers. A friend asked: Can they really cut your wages? And i explained how the lovely world of MT CAN and DOES do that: I predict in this case, it will be: We are switching to a different way of counting lines, and we will adjust your pay per keystroke appropriately. And LO AND BEHOLD, when you crunch the numbers, you will notice that your pay has been appropriately adjusted DOWNward.
Did you tell them you wanted to do OPs and they said OK, or just
not check it out at all???
I just wanted to say ....
I have worked for Liz, and she is really great. She was always very understanding and went out of her way to be kind to me. I did not see the ad you guys are referring to, and I understand no one wanting to feel like they are being insulted, but for her to have written something like what I imagine the ad said from what I can gather from your posts, she had to be frustrated. I would totally work for her again.
I think it is 5 cpl, but I wanted
I wanted straight transcription to get a better rate, so don't quote me on it.
Ok, that's what I have already. Wanted to see if could do away with the
nm
BECAUSE I WANTED TOO,
x
That's what I wanted to know. Thanks for
your honesty. Anybody else have a different/similar experience?
By the way I wanted to add
I hope that by my initial excitement I did not encourage anyone to make any kind of choice they would regret. If so, I apologize. If you are happy good for you. I was just so excited initially, that maybe I should not have put the post in to influence anyone. Seems like there is an argument going on here and I do not want to say either way. I say interview if you want, ask all of the appropriate questions and then you may check references on a company before you take the job just as easily as they can check yours. If you are a good match, good luck. If not, then good luck in your job search. Not backsliding here, just trying to make amends because obviously you guys wanted a follow up so my comments a few weeks ago must have made an impression. No matter what there is a company out there for everyone, so good luck to all, and I wish only the best.
just wanted to know...
Thanks, but someone posted that if you wanted to see where they worked to check their other posts and you could find out. I don't want to know the identity of people, just if you can find posts of individual people! Does that sound clear as mud to you?! 
Also wanted to add (sm)
It is too bad that they do over-hire. Because they are losing a lot of great people who would probably stay the duration of their career if they were able to get their line counts and make money with them. JMO.
Just wanted to add
you also need to contact the Labor Board. Take any paperwork you have with you--i.e., copy of your contract, etc. If I were in your shoes I would send a letter (cerfified mail, return receipt requested) to them telling them I expected payment in full within five days or I would do all of the above, including the Labor Board. Then DO it.
How do you know what she wanted?
You don't even know her, have not worked with her or walked in her shoes? What kind of a payoff do you get from being so nasty?
How do you know what she wanted?
You don't even know her, have not worked with her or walked in her shoes? What kind of a payoff do you get from being so nasty?
Thank you. That it what I wanted to know.
It has been so long since I last applied for a job, I am stressing about everything. Thanks. 
I just wanted to thank everyone for
their responses. There have been some interesting topics raised. I have made my decision today - I'm taking the job offer that I got. It's not that I'm afraid to do VR - I've done it before, and it's not all it's cracked up to be, but it's nice to give your hands a break. I don't agree at all with paying half of your regular line rate for VR. It no way takes half the time for editing than it does for typing (at least in my experience). I would say 75-80% of regular pay would be more fair, but I would still prefer if they paid the same for both VR and typing. To top off the pay cut we've been expected to deal with, there also is no work to do. So that's ultimately what helped me make my decision. I cannot make money if there is no work to do - it doesn't matter if it's editing or typing, No work equals no pay. So with that said, I wish you all luck whether you decided to stay or go.
OPINIONS WANTED PLEASE - sm
To all rad MTs...what is the best company to work for doing radiology? I'm looking for a home where I can just do straight radiology typing - NO VR. I know, it may be coming, but I hope to evade it as long as possible. I'm tired of all the lies these companies tell you when trying to get you to work for them. I'm tired of running out of work, babysitting the PC waiting for work. I'm tired of horribly outdated programs that won't let me use my expander. Are there ANY companies out there that have what I'm looking for? Please tell me there's hope somewhere....TIA
Nutshell: She wanted them to have SM
someone else work the portion of the schedule she didn't like and give her the hours she wanted, but instead they found someone who could work the entire schedule they had available and passed her by.
Not what I wanted to read...
Now I'm nervous. I'm supposed to start working for this company very soon. I applied because of the glowing reviews they got on this forum, now that seems to have drastically changed. I left my last company and took a 2-month break from transcription because of problems with the other company's QA department (similar reasons as listed here in this thread), now it seems I'll be walking right into the same type of situation.
Anyway, I was told (by the recruiter) that they are pretty flexible with schedules but how true is that? I have a little boy in kindergarten and I'll need to run out every day at 11:40 to go get him and bring him home, I don't want this to be a problem.
Sorry to have rambled, I'm just finding myself very nervous and tense now.
Yes it does. I just wanted to get some feedback
from others before applying.
Thanks for the help! In your opinion, if you really wanted SM
to always be able to work six hours (a.m. and early afternoon), do you think this would be a good company for a schedule like that? Thanks again!
We do not have space for job-wanted ads. (SM)
Please feel free to post your resume on our free resume bank. As well, you can search our Job Seeker's board. The job advertisements there are very descriptive and you should be able to find something there.
Goldbird
from ExecuScribe and wanted to know if
anyone on this board works for them now and any info that you may have for a MT who is close to being hired (at least my testing was really good). Thanks very much in advance.
editors wanted
I heard from someone that it was Shapin with the Editor positions. Don't quote me, but that is just what I heard.
Bummer
Please do not post job wanted ads. (NM)
Goldbird
Please do not post job-wanted ads. (SM)
We have a free Job Seeker's board with plenty of job advertisements to peruse. As well, we have a free resume bank for interested MTs to present a resume on.
Goldbird
Please do not post job-wanted ads. (SM)
We offer a free Job Seekers board with literally hundreds of advertisements for employee and IC positions.
As well, you may post your resume for free on our resume bank for potential contact.
Goldbird
Again -- Please do NOT post job-wanted ads! (SM)
If you are looking for a position (employee or IC), you will simply have to do your own legwork like everyone else. Look at the Job Seekers board. There are both employee and IC positions available. Inquire with those companies.
Post your resume on the free job resume bank. Companies looking for workers will be sure to see it there!
If you wish to inquire about a specific company, please do so right here, on the Company board!!
Goldbird
Most definitely, but I wanted to hear from
someone who has had personal experience with them and not just what they have up.
I mean the "help wanted" ad for AC's not new MT's
nm
No job wanted ads/posts, please. NM
Goldbird
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