I think getting back into a structured routine
Posted By: me on 2006-02-07
In Reply to: Opinions please! - anon
may be difficult and then there is the office politics. At least you can do your time and come home and leave work at work.
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The key to doing this is you have to have a routine and follow it. (sm)
What might work for one person may not work for the next, but f you make it YOUR routine it will become a regular part of your day. For me (and I've been at this for a long, long time) my best hours are in the early morning. I get up, shower, get dressed, put the coffee on, take care of whatever needs taken care of so it won't interfere with your day (feed the cat, let the dog out, whatever you would normally do if you had to leave your house for the day and go out and work). Then sit and work for 2 hours, take a short break, work another 2 hours, break for lunch, and so on until your work day is finished. It also helps if you keep your work area clean so you can have a fresh desk to start off with. NO TV. Don't answer the phone while you're working to take personal calls. Do that on your break. These are just some ideas that work for me.
My exercise routine
Walk to the fridge, open door (works arms), lift food (good strength training, lifting weights), put in mouth, close door, walk back to desk while lifting cup of coffee to lips. I gave my legs and arms a good workout, also my mouth. Transcription is hard. But I know if I keep up my exercise routine, I will be buff.
That is pretty routine for them to want
I have had both office accounts and surgery center accounts that requested that I send them that information. I'd rather not have to do it, but sometimes you just have to do what comes with the territory.
I have them for routine procedures for
the same doc -- T&A, cholecystectomies, appy's, and a lot of my orthopedic doctors. I also have them for ROS and PE exams. I just leave jump markers for values, right/left, and things like that.
What is your best at-home work routine?
I'm curious what hours you work, how long and often do you take breaks. What schedule allows you to be most productive? e.g., frequent short breaks, less frequent longer ones, split shifts, etc.
Oh honey, sounds like my daily routine.
You just gotta push through. I've noticed that as my kids get older, it has gotten somewhat better. I have a 9 and 11 year old and they have gotten to the point of seeing after themselves while I'm working. They were 3 and 5 when I started and it was really tough. Now If they make a mess, they clean it up themselves. Unless the house is on fire, someone is dying, etc. they are to leave me alone when the headset is on. I have had to really draw the line with them. It didn't happen overnight, it took quite a while for them to understand. Fortunately my husband understands all this and has really helped me work with them on this issue.
Friends and family on the other hand haven't been so easy to train. I screen my calls with caller ID and let the machine get the ones I don't have time to deal with. My machine has a message stating that "I am working at the moment and am unable to answer your call. Please leave a message and I will return your call as soon as possible." I have also had a put a sign on my front door stating "Please Do Not Disturb. I am currently working and unable to visit at this time. Please come back after 4:00 p.m., I will be available then." I had to do this because people just couldn't seem to get it. Just because I was at home, they thought they could just drop in. I even have some to still ring the doorbell because they think that sign isn't for them. But you know what...I feel that is very rude and disrespectful of them. They can sit out there all day for all I care because until I'm finished working, I won't answer.
Your not alone in all of this. I believe this is what most of us who work at home go through. Eventually it will get better but you must put some rules into place for everyone and enforce them. I know with very young children it is hard for them to understand this but if you begin now helping them understand, then it will get easier as they grow. Also, if you have older children that can help with the younger ones, give them an incentive to help you out. You've just got to be creative with it and find what works for you.
Hope this helps!
This would make a good Seinfeld routine.
Of course probably only MTs would understand the jokes. Somebody needs to write a book about MTs and what they go through. It really would be touching and funny, and a bit tragic, I think. It could be marketed in the Stedmen's line of books or something. It could have cartoons. This title where did QA come from? This makes me want to be all creative. Of course, this MT is full of talk, but not a whole lot of action. LOL.
Where I am, using Winscribe, the supervisor on duty routine gives updates (sm)
with who is working on a particular account, how many jobs there are, if any have been kicked back (she/he can tell as they are out of sequence, obviously taken into someones local queue and then returned to the pool. The name of those working at any given time is announced, this lets us know if someone comes on board during unscheduled hours without clocking in.
It is great for me as I follow the rules. We are not to take jobs into the local queue (cherrypicking) and we are not to work outside of scheduled hours unless it is granted and there is ample work for the person coming on board so they do not take away from the regularly scheduled MTs. I love my job!
Be cautious...great bait and switch routine, you can do much better...
they also outsource overseas (a percentage). you will do well if you have low self-esteem. everyone great until you get thrown to supervisor...hehe, you'll see.
my opinion, my experience.
that's my routine to a T, 'cept I walk the dog instead of doing catbox duty. :) nm
s
structured text from free text...
eventually just templates filled in. being that I am near 50, I will probably be okay, but I feel bad for all the younger MTs just now in school. according to this article, we will all have to be willing to learn the new ways.
no more 'blind faith'
With short arms, I need chair with shallow seat, good back support and high back. Want arm rests
:+
OK! I'm glad you're back down here. Now don't go back up there and read those evil posts ag
Okay? But I have to leave you now, sadly. Thousands of noble dictating doctors are anxiously awaiting my help with their "dictations"....They're all loading up on chips, drinking lots of soda so they can burp, and then have to go to the bathroom...You know the routine! Off I go to earn some pennies!! But, truly, I am thankful that I have a job! 
PS.. It apparently worked..I heard back and already submitted the paperwork back.
I'm not sure how many people they are hiring but you shouldn't stress too hard over it. Do the best you can.
I would not do them back to back - I have done 2 and 3 jobs at the same time -- all PT - sm
It is possible to do of course but you will burn out fast. Now I do one almost FT (about 30 hours a week) and the other is about 8-10 hours a week-- I still get beat doing that and that is w/o set hours. I find that the older I get the harder it is to work late and I am only 40! But a mid afternoon 30-minute cat nap helps a lot in order to keep going on busy days.
How do you set your computer back 1 day. I messed something up and need to go back 1 day.
NM
Yes, you get back to work now. Go back to
some routine, and it does start to hurt less. I know  And remember, she is still there at work with you. Always will be. I figure at this point I have a whole herd of loved dogs under my desk each day - along with a couple horses, hamsters, parakeets, rabbits...If only I could see them - must be quite a happy zoo! But I know they are all there I sense their love.
Can't anyway. Just get them back. sm
I actually tried to dump a report today, which I never do, because it somehow got into my pool in error (not my area of expertise), but it jumped right back up at me after the next report. So I decided to just do it. I don't know how well I did, but I did it. It was over 150 lines long and took me forever. Lo and behold, 5 reports later, same guy, same type of report 145 lines. Second time around was easier and faster though. The way I see it is that if I get negative feedback, I'll let them know that those kind of reports really shouldn't come my way.
But cherry picking for line count is just plain wrong.
I did, but then I came back to it.
The other jobs I took involved quite a bit of computer use, too. I got tired of the office politics and other garbage, so I'm doing MT again. Now, I prop my keyboard up with a block of wood, although you can use a telescoping keyboard drawer/shelf to do the same thing. I have a habit of letting my wrists rest on the keyboard, so I had to modify it to get my hands into the proper position. It might have helped if I had taken piano lessons. LOL The only time my wrists ache now is if I work too much, which has been the case lately. I don't know if it would be helpful for you to try. I've been doing data entry or some form of computer input work for 17 years now, so I'm hoping carpal tunnel or repetitive motion injury isn't definitely in my future.
Going WAY back here
It's been a long time and I'm not "up" on the lingo, but by reformatting, do you mean you re-indexed?
I would go into whatever function that is where you can re-index all files or functions and do that.
If you still have problems, it might be that a file has been corrupted somewhere. That happened to me on that program a couple times. I'm not sure if it was the dictionary, but something somewhere stopped working right and I had to reload the entire program.
Be SURE to back up your autokeys immediately just in case you have to reinstall the program.
Can I get back to you about this later?
WAY BACK WHEN
It used to be that we were treated as valued employees, treated with dignity, and actually felt like the higher-ups gave a damn about us. Length of service meant something and those who were dependable never had to worry about running out of work. I knew I would be taken care of. Never did we get cheap plastic crap as a Christmas present - we got real, thoughtful presents to show their appreciation for the hard work that they knew we did. It's pretty much like night and day - nobody gives a damn anymore about us. It used to be the only thing I knew I could depend on to be stable in my life was my job. Not anymore.
Yes, they could pay us better back then
because they weren't paying 2 people for one job (speaking of QA here). If you weren't a good, accurate transcriptionist, you didn't have a job.
Way back
I never heard the word at the time. It was fabulous! No turnaround time. I could shop all day and work all night. The service I worked for told me she wished she had 10 of me! Nice? Christmas parties and $100 bonuses! Flowers when a relative died. It was fun!
I think I might even go back further...
I recall using white-out and yellow-out for carbon copies (the REAL carbon copies) which had to be corrected separately. OH my... but I'm afraid I don't miss all that at all! LOL. I think it was okay to use the white-out until a couple years later, or maybe 10? Yeah, I'm old.
And 8 or 9 books? Did they even make that many back then? I can recall having a PDR and a word book that was separated into specialities. Oh, and the surgical word book. It was red. I am visualizing it now.
My form of research was more like finding the chart and going from there. Ah, but that was before production. Remember those days?
I wish I could remember the name of the first word processor I used. It was a mess!! More trouble than it was worth, but on the cutting edge of technology... and I was there!!
And here I am now, an MT dinosaur, getting ready to start using ASR...
Yeah, DixieDew, we have come a long way.
But miss it? Do you remember the noise those Selectrics made? And I complain sometimes because I can't stand the clicking of the keyboard when I have barely audible dictations.
One more thing... and please tell me if you miss this... "Standard" reports that you had to copy type instead of just having them appear on your screen with a few keystrokes. I used to HATE standard reports to the point of tears!
Okay, my ranting and reminiscing is done for now.
Thanks for the walk down memory lane. :)
Come back
That Alice was bad, bad, bad. Are you and "her" coming back tonight though?
I will back you up too
I was told the same about two years ago by recruiter in Midwest. She did not give specifics, but basically said that the full time employees would get priority if the work was low.
I wish they would come back!
No doubt Zipper, Chucky, MQLOVER, and Frankie Boy made this board alive - I would rather laugh in hysterics with their words than to listen to the same ol, same ol'!
By the way, admin confirmed it was not the same person posing as all of them!
You never go back
Truly - once you make the switch, it is absolutely impossible to switch back to a standard. Give yourself a couple of days is all.
I know .....been there....won't go back.
A person can only take so much hurt ......I keep my distance now. Family can hurt you the most because you love them the most. For me, it is easier and less hurtful to pull back and keep my distance. The less I know, the better off I am.
My children and I always were disregarded in a similar manner. We just see some family members on holidays. I tell my kids, mommy and daddy will always remember you and give you gifts...not to look elsewhere for them.
Be proud of your sons..they are real gentleman and not materialistic. It hurts, but guess what, they will be stronger for it.
Hugs and more hugs to you!
Yep, I would back off..
When she's 18, nothing you can do about it anyway. There are lots more important issues at this time of her life, and she sounds like a good kid! My 18-year-old graduated last year, and as soon as he did, he dyed his shoulder-length brown hair completely white and started dressing in all black. It never amounted to anything but an outward appearance, and he's a good kid, too! So try to keep it in if you can, Mom!
BACK-UP
I have a complete back up system of everything I use, computer, transcribers, foot pedal, etc. When I buy a new one I keep the older one for back up. Buy a new computer every three years. It has come in handy when things happen as without them I make no money. Also have a place I can go and work should I be without power. That is just me.
Back at Ya
Thanks and Happy Thanksgiving to you also.
Better back then
Made way better back then. All used gross line count. Worked for smaller, friendlier services, had better dictators, thoroughly enjoyed work. Made approximately $50,000-$60,000 a year back then. Some days now even hate to touch it because of the way it has become.
going back...
As the other 2 posters said, finishing the dictation and then going back to listen to the blanks works best for me. Most of the time I can hear it then. If I'm really get uptight and frustrated with the job, I'll walk away for a minute or two and come back - sometimes just a "mini break" is all it takes.
really going back
remember the old belts before they even had cassettes? 1967-68 or thereabouts?
How far back do MT's actually go? sm
I have a 1936 medical dictionary that the hospital I used to work at was going to throw out. It's leather bound, but the cover is missing. There is actually a section on using leeches for medical treatment.
Think about it. How far back does MT go? The docs used to write notes and then they had the nurses write the notes, but how far back does the first actual typewritten MT report go? Did they hire someone to type while they talked to them. Someone posted below about an MT that sat in on autopsies to type the findings. Hmmmmm. Interesting.
The old doc I used to work for (with the typewriter) was from the old school and always did handwritten notes until the insurance companies required them either printed or typed. He reluctantly hired a Transcriptionist but this was in the mid-1980's and he was still grumbling about paying someone to type what he could write when I worked there in 1994.
I say run and run now!! Do not look back!
They pretend they are so great to work for, but then lie about pay and screw you over in so many other ways. PLease do not go there!!
You have to keep a back up IC job.
All companies have this problem at one point or another. Going from one to the other is not going to solve your problem. I have a full time job and an IC position.
I strongly suggest you try to add to your pot instead of jumping into another.
way back when
Mine also involves JFK - I was in 9th grade science class when the P.A. system announced his death, they let school out and I ran home crying to my mom! I was so scared, I didn't know what was going to happen. And i also remember our first color T.V. What a treat!
Why did you ask him-- why not just tell him you ARE going back?
nm
Yes, please let her know that you want it back and why.
Hopefully she will be nice and let you have it.
They may not be, but if they all come back
and they're all in one piece feel blessed. Say lots of prayers and let him know before he goes how "mommish" you'll be until he gets back. We love em, but sometimes we gotta let em go. Remember, they're only young once and when he's tied down later he'll appreciate the chances you gave him to be young. My best to you.
Wish I was 38! but went back to
school at age 39 and worked part-time which was actually like 37 to 39 hours, just under the 40 hours considered full-time. Graduated in the top of my class, so it can be done. Good luck to you!!
Back out while you can
We built a house and moved last year and sold our other home. You probably love this new house and are excited about moving picturing where you are going to put your things and/or redecorate, but I highly suggest backing out of the deal while you can, mention this and you will get any earnest money back. I say that because a similar thing happened to a friend of ours and she didn't back down and those "high" premiums will be higher and then when you try to sell you won't get any takers because of it. They legally have to disclose that to you. If you are out any money or there is any problem refunding your money you can sue them. Hopefully you are working with a realtor (they work for the seller believe me). Find a new home to love and call your own. :)
Getting a job back
I am using a Lanier LX-219. I re-recorded a job but did not get the entire job. How do I go back into the system and recall the job using the job number?  Thanks.
BEEN THERE...DONE THAT...CAME BACK
I have been there. Actually, I was pretty burned out. I tried to get back into working outside of my home..I thought I needed a change in scenery, to do something different. I am certified in other areas of the medical field and tried working in a doctor's office and left. I even took up sales for a while and left. Trust me...you will be ready to come back. I did and I am loving it even more than before!! :)
Get back to you all
after I get off work and try these out. Thanks in the meantime.
How do I get back to where I was?
For example, say about halfway down this page I see something I want to read, and then I choose See All Related Messages. When I get to the end of them and I click "Home" or "Main Board" it takes me back to the top of the Board, not to the middle where I was before I decided to read a posting, so then I have to eyeball to where I was before I read the previous post. This is bugging me BIG TIME. helpppppppppp
I had to go back to IE 6, too.
back?"
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