Plain and simple burnout.
Posted By: Hayseed on 2007-09-21
In Reply to: Hayseed...I thought you loved your job and co...what happened? nm - backandforth
I used to carry two pagers for two hospitals all by myself, 24/7. They went off maybe a couple of times a month. The chore of being on-call is now shared with a few other people but now the after-hour pages come in nonstop and I don't know why. Me thinks some deal was made to keep an account or something but I really am just pulling that answer out of my tuckas. It's gotta be costing the hospitals a mint to have us at their beck and call like that....either that or they got a really sweet deal.
The other issue is it used to be a much more laid back environment. You logged on, did your work, and you were left alone. You kept an eye out for stats yourself and took care of them, because you are there because you are responsible.
Now you log on, strike up this thing called Instant Messenger, and sit there at your desk working your alloted shift but can't get up because you must be present if you get an IM for a stat...even though you are already on it because it's your job to be. Want to take a break? Yeah, sure, once you finish up this stat. Oh wait, I've got another one here that needs to be done super duper stat....you know what I'm talkin' about too, lurkers.
Ya know the movie, Office Space? I'm always referring to it with this company. You know the scene with the TPS reports, where the fella has 4 bosses telling him the same darned thing even though you already know your job? That's what I'm dealing with and, yeah, I've been reduced to the mumbling dude who worries about his stapler.
I don't blame my bosses at all, but the micromanaging thing is out of control and I have no idea why it has come to be, because it wasn't like this before. The days of a happier Hayseed with high line counts and company pride are long gone. I don't know who works there anymore as the folks I knew have all left, and that's made an impact as well. Ask for new scenery because of burnout, and all you get is a strokin', nothing more.
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a beautiful man! plain and simple.
and a great actor.
I don't return....plain and simple....and if someone ask about their
When you do not return...that's where it hurts the business. They NEED our business in order to stay afloat!!
Plain and simple answer: No.
That is ridiculously low pay. Even if you are the fastest Transcriptionist in the world and you work 16 hours a day, you still would barely be able to make ends meet. Do you really want to live like that?
If you can do this job part-time so that you will have the experience to put on your resume, go for it. But constantly be on the lookout for something that pays better and when you find it, grab it.
The plain and simple truth is
if we push, they will shove, and they will shove us right out of our jobs. Down the line sure it might help someone when they get tired of outsourcing, but we would all be out of jobs before then. I for one cannot afford that.
We can get mad, yell, scream, stomp our feet and demand better pay, then start looking for another job. We have no leverage and we are only one piece of the puzzle, not to mention the most dispensable piece.
I agree, I too doubt it was PayPal, someone hacked your account , plain and simple - sm
It can be done, especially if you ever responded to any spam emails. I had my debit card hacked at BJs, someone broke into the main frame and stole thousands of credit cards #, etc. They spent about $800 at Wal-Mart, PetsMart and for gas, bounced stuff in our checking account, etc. Since it was a VISA debit card, I had the money back in 24 hours after I filled out the fraud forms at the back. --but no one every physically stole my card or even had my PIN #. I am sure savvy computer hackers can do it , OR someone there at PayPal hacked and sold off a list---but I highly doubt they deliberately withdrew funds. I would have found out from the company that did the charge ***PAYPAL - THE XYX Co." where the mystery item shipped....doubt it was to your address.....That happened to me with a credit card, tons of stuff that I supposedly bought $800 of stuff from Victoria's Secret made its way to NY, not PA where I was living--interesting. Again was refunded promptly. PayPal may have been lax at how they handled it granted, but I am sure with a bit more persistance and going through the right channels you would have had it resolved a bit more promptly and to your satisfaction.
so find a different profession where you'll make more money - plain and simple. nm
x
Three-job burnout
A co-worker took on a second and now a third job. I can see where in trying to get a "balance" her work is suffering especially in turnaround time and also some quality issues. I believe that if you take on additional work, your first obligation is to your first job, second obligation to your second job, and so on. If the second and/or third jobs pay more, that matters not. I think it is called honoring your committment. Anyhow, too much work will eventually leave you burned out and you may end up sick and/or running as far as you can from this work. Would think very carefully about divying yourself up into too many pieces. Best regards.
BURNOUT?
So, if your post is correct it seems you probably need a vacation, at least. I have done what you say you do and, believe me, it can suck you dry. It is hard to do so many things 24/7/365, used to find myself sitting in my chair at home in the same pajamas I had on 14 hours before. I found I needed a better quality of life. My best advice to you is to take a break and post us when you get back and feel better and not so offensive/defensive. Good luck.
burnout
WOW - I couldn't have said anything better than these posters. Have been there several times over the past 25 years - the last after my son died, and am so thankful I didn't get fired the several years it took me to get back up to speed afterward. Truly, maybe working inhouse would be a good thing for a while for you.
Love, blessings, hugs, understanding.
Burnout
Would it be possible for you to take a part-time job doing something -anything - else to get out of the house and be with people and cut down a bit on your transcription hours? I know you have to make your bills, but if you're not producing would you be losing a lot by trying something else? Or maybe at least ask for a different account? Or maybe find a different service for whom to work? I know this is scary to think about, much less do, particularly as we age. My guess is I'm a bit older than you, having been in transcription for 31 years, but perhaps not. Perhaps you are a late bloomer (she smiles). I've been where you are, and sadly, the road I'm traveling down at the moment is starting to look familiar, like I'm headed back to that same spot. In my case, the first time around, I took a temporary part-time job in Geographic Information Systems for a local municipality. I'd taken the classes for fun at the junior college but had no experience. I was given very low-level work, but it was different from transcription, I was learning more about GIS than I had at school, I loved it and the people were super! When I came home to start transcribing, I was in a much better mood and production increased. I hope you can find something, because your pain is coming through loud and clear.
ahh, burnout
After about 12 years of being an MT, I found myself suffering from burnout. Right about that time, I was offered the job of 1st & 2nd grade teacher at the tiny Christian school my kids attended. I was really looking forward to something new. After only 2 months, I was over my burnout but I was committed to finish out the rest of the school year. It was the longest 7 months of my life.
I think the burnout came from having had the same account for so long (nearly 10 years). Every day was the same. Maybe just learning a new account or a new specialty would help you get over the burnout. Although I hate the pay cut that invariably comes with any new account, I always feel proud of myself for rising to the challenge and learning new things. It keeps things interesting.
This may sound silly, but do you have any scenery where you transcribe? I sit in front of a picture window in my office and watch the birds and squirrels. I have become quite an avid birdwatcher while I work. It doesn't take a lot of time out of the day, but it gives me something else to look at besides the computer screen. 
on the edge of burnout
It sounds like you're on the edge of burnout. I was there a few years ago. You just have to force yourself to stop working at 5 (or whenever your shift is done) and close the door and not look back at that computer.
Dealing with burnout
Hi:
Is anyone out there dealing with burnout due to their transcription job? I have been doing this for 7 years as an Independent with only 1 vacation in that time. I work weekends and holidays and feel like I am about ready to yank my freaking hair out  from the responsibility!!!
Lynn
How do you handle burnout as MT? Any
suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I've only been doing this for 7-1/2 years and I've about had it with all the junk. 
severe burnout
I just can't do MT anymore. I've been doing it for 30 years, the last 6 with a national that begins and ends with an S. I so tired of their lies and garbage. I also edit as an IC which I enjoy but can't get steady hours. I'm presently on intermittent FMLA from "S" for my mom who is a paraplegic and they're giving me all kinds of grief over it. My supervisor is doing everything she can to put roadblocks in front of me. She won't me change accounts permanently. I get put on an account I'm good at and can get good line counts on for awhile and then I'm put back on the account I told her I hate and can't make money on. This happens over and over again. She also won't let me taking an editing job or change my hours. I received their "certificates" for quality and attendance, but not for production which is the only thing they care about since only 62% of the company made 98% or more quality. Some days I just can't sit and work. I'm totally burned out and the above doesn't help.
I'd leave in a minute if I thought another place would be better, but I'm not convinced it would be. Add to that the fact that I only have dial-up, need health insurance as I am single and can't afford a good computer at this time.
Sorry for the long post. Just needed to vent. Has anyone been in this situation? What can I do?  I'm working 50-60 hours a week and still can't make a living. I'm really ready to go on welfare rather than keep working.
So your answer to the the OP's burnout
the boss and I am a child. If that is what you got out of the post, then I AM SO RIGHT ALL ALONG!!!! 
burnout/changing companies
Hi everyone - I post here frequently but I need to remain anonymous for this one; hope you understand.
I'm looking for thoughts from MTs about whether switching to a different company alleviated burnout. I am trying to figure out if it's MT itself, or just the service I work for, that is causing my severe burnout.
I'm on the verge of hauling myself to a doctor for antidepressants (paying out of pocket, of course... no psych insurance coverage as an IC!) and my line counts have dropped drastically. I have bilateral CTS to boot. I'm struggling pretty badly with all the "classic" burnout signs.
Thanks all!
Taking a vacation due to burnout
MTs to boost production. Having contests to see who can do the most is more like something a 12-year-old would do in my opinion. Furthermore, this is not a game people play. This is a job. The doctors are relying on transcriptionists to do a good job. We cry we want more money, we have to work for it, and then we cry that we're burned out????  Get a life! 
Contracts....burnout.......etc....open and read
Hello--
I was just reading your post and I do understand where you are coming from. First of all, let me start by saying I will never do a non-contracted job again and every job that I have is contracted. :)
Secondly, I know how you feel about being "stuck inside"--Yep, been there, done that....burnout. I was so ready to go to work in the big world again. So, I left transcription at home, hired a babysitter and went to work in my secondary field as a medical assistant. After three months of it, I was so ready to come back home, and I missed my transcription so badly...AND MY KIDS.
I came back home, been here again for over a year. I can say it is better this time around, I appreciate MT more and I am absolutely taking in every moment I can with my kids. At least I know when my babies get sick, I will be the one nurturing them..and bringing home a paycheck at the same time. :)
Sometimes it is hard to balance everything at once, and the thought of going back outside the home to work seems like an easy answer, but believe me, it is better to be home. :)
I suffered from major burnout about 4 years ago. sm
Was at a major company that I liked for a year, then they made some changes and it was a nightmare for the second year. I went to a smaller company for awhile, they were great but I found it harder and harder to sit down and pull reports. I got to the point I was only doing about 300 lines a day. I made a change to a small company as IC, and chose one where so many minutes were dumped on me for the day. I knew I had to finish those minutes, and before I knew it I was back to about 800 lines a day, six days a week. That is all I can do without developing CT myself; I have learned this over the years. Now I'm starting some editing part time, so I can earn more without losing the use of my hands.
If you already have CT, you might have to get into something different, like editing. It doesn't seem realistic to keep working, knowing you're doing more damage and will shortly be unable to work anyway. I'd be looking for a change.
Whatever you do, try to find the motivation that works. I didn't find thinking about unpaid bills or setting a financial goal each month helped, it just made me depressed when I couldn't reach it. I focused on the positive, like being able to do 50 lines more daily this week than last, adding minutes each week until I reached my goal. I also make sure to take two weeks off at different times each year and go some place at least once, something I neglected for years. I come back refreshed.
Best of luck to you; it's a difficult situation.
I read a book once that burnout was caused by being out of balance. sm
Working too much and not giving time to other parts of your life is the culprit in the job arena. Variety is the spice of life, so focusing on balancing your job, your need for a good cash flow, with times to enjoy yourself is essential.
It takes work, and fortunately I have an S/O that demands that I take time for us to have fun and for "me" to have fun as an individual.
Now THAT'S just plain scary!!!!
Yes, but sometimes they are just plain lazy sm
I have a couple of MT friends. I make about twice what they do, but I "work" roughly the same hours they do. They do a lot of whining about wishing they made what I made. When the work is there to be done, they tell me about the work piled up, but how they don't feel motivated. By the time they get motivated, the work is gone. Then it is whining about finding a new job, but when contacted, they can't get motivated to test and one is always wanting me to look over her tests to see if I think she will pass (I saw that her work was very poor indeed) and I have only done it once, which was enough.
Working at home is not for everyone. It takes a lot to park your buns in front of the computer when the dishes are in the sink and the laundry is piled up, or the kids, DH or whomever wants your time. It is SO EASY to not work. I get distracted by the housework, especially today because my daughter was home from college this weekend and every single coffee cup and bowl are dirty! I did her laundry, not mine over the weekend...so I feel distracted.
The OP is right. Use the answering machine or voicemail, don't answer the door (I never do) and get down to it. If you are like me and the housework drives you nuts, you can do what I do. I type 3 reports and go do a short, under 5-minute task, and sit back down. I find I can get the kitchen 90% clean in a day by doing this and I catch up my laundry this way too. Then I can focus because I like a really clean house to support me when I am working. It is a support because I don't think about it when it is clean.
My last rant is about those $tupid TV ads about working at home as an MT. Gimme a break! It is NOT like that.
I am against a union. It is plain what they have done sm
On the upside, they are great for looking out for the interests of the worker. They are responsible for helping to pull this country out of poverty post WWII, and for helping to implement laws which protect the health and safety of the worker.
In more recent times, they are pushed companies offshore. Automobile workers...they build so many of them out of the country. The plants and companies that don't employee union workers are prospering! They are cars they make are more affordable and they are SELLING THEM while the Big Three are asking for our money in the form of a bale out!
Closer to home, the Kroger outlets in Colorado, where I lived for many years, is union. Safeway is about half and half and the rest are nonunion. The end result has been job cuts at Kroger in every single department and cutting of hours for everyone. They have closed stores too. Their largest competitors are those who are nonunion and Walmart where workers are paid less than a living wage. The union has helped to push Walmart into the grocery equation.
Because we don't have leverage, we have no way to unionize and I am not in favor of it. If you want to make a difference in this industry, let us mount a campaign with our representatives to make it illegal to shift the transcription of medical offshore, or at very least to tax the beejeebers out the practice. THAT would protect our jobs. Because, quite frankly, there are not enough qualified MTs in the US to the work available...wages will have to go up, as will benefits, as companies vie for the best MTs.
Plain rude
It seems to be a matter of manners and training. It's just as inconsiderate and rude for this doctor to change his/her mind halfway through a dictation as it is to change your order at McD's halfway through the line. IMHO, customer service has gotten out of hand in both industries, expecting smiles in return for just plain rudeness. Maybe if MTs and the order processors at McD's were allowed to be more honest with the poorly-trained customers, there would be some changes. Otherwise, these customers think its okay to act this way.
A lot of those Guru projects seem just plain
xx
That is PLAIN OLD WRONG. Other MTs can write their own, just like you did. SM
Why the h*ll would you want to give your own "inventions" away? Let them DO THEIR OWN.
I like plain ol' Dell or Logitech.
I need a keyboard with a light touch, but I also like one that is clicky, if you know what I mean by that.
TiredMT and just plain tired -
more pay - so it doesn't take so many hours. You may be a bit late - nice try to the both of you. YKW (you know who)
No excuses need. He's an alcoholic, plain and
simple. Don't like it now. Never have. Don't have to stay, can make it on my own. I've done it before and could do it again. However, I choose to stay. I'm not giving up on him. He's an alcoholic and I'm a teetotaler. Don't like drinking, never have, never will. Love him, always have, always will.
and just plain out right dealing with folks!
x
Actually, they just changed it recently to plain
x
You people are just plain E-less! hahahahaha!
You can make it as plain or fancy as you like
From "Mary Smith, Inc." to "Transcription International" or whatever....
Just plain sick and tired
All I can say is I am just plain sick and tired of MT work with no chance of leaving for many years. Sick of burping, farting, snuffling, mush mouthed ignorant jerks who pass for doctors. Honestly, as stupid as they sound, I have no clue how they got through high school, let alone medical school. Working for peanuts and getting nowhere. The good days at this job are fewer and fewer anymore! The companies are making it harder and harder to make a living at this.
that was just plain ugly, sorry I read that post (NM)
xx
I just speak plain ole Texas vernacular....sm
And I don't wanna hear one mean word about it. When I was transcribing, I typed in classical, perfectly grammatical American English, but now I post (and talk) just like I please. :D :D
when to put a comma before 'which', in plain English... ...
Some nonessential clauses begin with who, whom, which or that and include a verb.
Put a comma before those.
Example: The house, which is a very old house, is situated on 45-92 Grand Street.
Consider the commas as 'hooks.' The clause 'which is a very old house' could be 'unhooked' and dropped out of the sentence because it is not necessary to identify where the house is situated. It is merely extra information and not essential to the basic meaning of the sentence.
In all other cases do NOT put a comma.
Acc to my experience there are more cases that do NOT require a comma before 'which.' Also, the trend nowadays is to minimize the usage of commas and hyphens.
when to put a comma before 'which', in plain English... ...
Some nonessential clauses begin with who, whom, which or that and include a verb.
Put a comma before those.
Example: The house, which is a very old house, is situated on 45-92 Grand Street.
Consider the commas as 'hooks.' The clause 'which is a very old house' could be 'unhooked' and dropped out of the sentence because it is not necessary to identify where the house is situated. It is merely extra information and not essential to the basic meaning of the sentence.
In all other cases do NOT put a comma.
Acc to my experience there are more cases that do NOT require a comma before 'which.' Also, the trend nowadays is to minimize the usage of commas and hyphens.
Are you PT, 3rd shift, negligent to your children, or just plain dillusional? SM
I worked FT with a newborn and had a hospital surgical account. My top priority was to see that all of the preoperative H&Ps were transcribed by 7:00 a.m. I never knew if I would be waking up to 14 or 40, so I would start my day already sleep deprived at 4:00 a.m.
One of my all time worst work at home memories was when I was on my last stat report around 6:50 a.m. and I could hear my little angle crying because was hungry and of course wanted her bottle. I just sat there for a few seconds and tried to determine which of the two top priorities in my life I should take care of. Could I run to the baby and put my job in jeopardy or sit there and pretend not to hear her. I was a new mom by the way. So what I did was try to stay focused, riddled with guilt, then proceeded to transcribe the rest of the report through so many tears, I could hardly see my monitor. THAT was THE worst day of my at-home transcription career.
I don't care what anyone says, without the structured setting of an office environment, working at home is very hard. Just ask yourself how many people, family, friends, or otherwise have called you during your workday that wouldn't dare call you in an office OUTSIDE the home.
My goofy sister called me from her job when I was employee status and had the nerve to ask me to round up her horse that had gotten out and put it up. I told her I would have to clock out just the same as she would. Needless to say, the horse enjoyed a day of freedom.
My daughter is 11 now so my life as an MT is 1000 easier. However, when she was ages 1 to 4, in order to keep her home with me working FT, would have been cruel, negligent, and not to mention dangerous. So I found a wonderful private setter to keep her for 3 to 4 hours a day and she actually loved the interaction with the other two children. In fact, they are all still close friends to this day.
Point is...you cannot be structured in a nonstructured environment. This is why flexibility is SO important.
Should I chalk your post up to just plain old ignorance, the fact that you can't read or SM
are you just plain stupid!
Samtel does this all the time. Pretty sure she/he is foreign because of the plain stupidity in it a
x
on a diet...hamburger plain, unsweetened applesauce, tomato juice...yum NOT!
but it's working....yippee! So much for the tastebuds!
Belly button rings just look plain nasty on older woman, trying to act young.
s
Totally up to your client as to a plain underline, a bracketed space, blank w/the time on the
s
Simple as this!
 Then you absolutely must stay where USA has jurisdiction and that is absolutely not in a foreign country. Those are the rules and laws and everyone knows that up front. The troops, the FBI, the CIA, the US police do not help you when you get drunk and/or lost in a foreign country. But you know that don't you?
It is really quite simple. sm
If you are a good MT, which most of us are, and all of a sudden you start getting a bunch of crap. I was very happy to be with a company that afforded you the luxury of being an MT, but yet a "hospital employee". This was a very innovative thing and I jumped on the band wagon. All the money is in ops, surgeons, they are predictable, macro-friendly, organized, don't flip through the charts and make me the most money. After being with this company for over 3 months, at my skill level, and only to get cued 10 ops, most of which were rejected and cherry picked, that is a HUGE sign. I did not tell "them" that is why I quit, they need to figure it out for themselves. I personally liked the team leader, but she is obviously pooling work out to her favorites, and not giving new MTs a chance - hence they will still "be with the original team", not realizing that people unfortunately get sick, die, move on, and the "original team" will not last forever. I am so glad to be out of there. Don't know if new company is going to be any better, have to wait and see.
I think both, but not as simple as that.
We do all make choices, but in some instances there are very few choices. Yes, we should first avail ourselves of education. Basic education is available to everyone in this country. After high school, education becomes harder to obtain, but it is available to everyone. You do have to have either transportation or a computer, and you have to have time to participate, but if you want it bad enough you can find a way. All that being said, if the company you work for suddenly closes, and there are few jobs available where you live, you can find yourself in a bad situation that you did not create. I think government assistance is important for people that find themselves in a temporary bad situation, but should not be allowed to be a way of life, except in the case of disability.
Very simple....
You tell them you're going digital, and they can either join you in the 21st century or be left behind.
well that seems simple enough! thanks
xx
Might try Simple FTP....sm
They have an option where you can log on as a guest and try out.
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