digital kitchen timer and a scratchpad ....
Posted By: Susanr on 2008-07-17
In Reply to: Some suggestions - petsitter
I am always startled at how much tallying line count every hour or two keeps me focused. Some days just spread out vaguely and my line count suffers as I get distracted or restless.
The info your platform provides should be enough ... to keep some sort of a running tally.
I trust almost no one is still doing manual logs (best kept in Excell, imho), but yes, even with manual logs, a "bad" hour total can provide the seat-in-chair motivation to perform better next hour.
Taking breaks is a good idea -- but I admit I still spend a lot of time playing catch-up.
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I use a little handheld digital timer from Pyrex (our oven timer doesn't work) - sm
and it's great, has two digital windows, clock on top, counter (which is what I use) on the bottem, then you can switch "modes" to a screen with 2 timers if that is what you want. Cost about $10. So I time myself more now since it helps me buckle down and I see who I am fastest at this way.....average anywhere from 12-18 minutes of dictation an hour doing this--- unfortunately I spend too much time looking up addresses but I hope my address directory will be to the point one day where I don't have to look up anymore (or at least not much). Have fun.
I do tapes and digital. And I was told if I'm not logged into the digital system, they assume I&
BUT she wants me logged into the system by 9:30 a.m. So I'm confused too. I've decided that I may come back to her and just say I'm not going to do the tapes anymore. I hate the tapes anyway. The voice quality is horrible, it fades in and out. It takes me twice as long to transcribe their tapes than the digital.
In the Kitchen and it is the worst but
I purchased a pair of those earmuffs that people use at the shooting range and although I have received many laughs, these are the best!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I use the little earbuds for headphones and the earmuffs on top and get some peace and quiet. I also put them on when I do not want to be bothered. I have in-laws over a lot to help with my 4 year old and we live in an apartment so these earmuffs are literally the best thing to happen to my work. I work a lot of nights and would just keep my husband up if it were in the bedroom. I really don't think I would want the computer screen staring at me while I am trying to sleep anyway.
kitchen question
I have some acacia wooden salad bowls, serving dishes, etc which I am giving as a wedding present. I know this type of wood is known for its durability but I am wondering if wooden dishes are microwave safe. Also, I remember my mother using them to serve some hot foods. Do they stain with such foods as hot tomato dishes, spinach or berries? Is ther some another way to remove those stains other than bleach? Just wondering if there anybody out there who knows about this?
I had to remove one from the kitchen a little
It was the middle of the night, as I was walking towards the kitchen, I noticed the snake (maybe 14" long, maybe 2" in diameter) side winding towards the refrigerator. I am a nature person but only to a certain degree, so don't want the snakes in my home or any reptile for that matter. I bent down as far as I could with my arthritic hips, scooped the snake up into a dust pan with my arthritic fingers as fast as I could (which wasn't very fast) and walked it up my very steep driveway towards a nearby drain. I didn't want to kill it, just get it far away from the house as I could. I never heard from it again. However, I have bird feeders near the house and maybe that is why I had to even deal with it being in my home in the first place. Not much of a reptile or insect person. I remove the lizards from the house too instead of killing but will spray or destroy insects.
me
Ever try cooking a meal in someone else's kitchen? sm
You know how to cook, but have a tough time finding where everything is kept in that kitchen so it takes a while longer. You could cook the same thing in your own familiar kitchen in half the time. This goes for MT, too. It takes a long time, even for those of us who have been transcribing half our lives, to get used to new formats, new work type codes, new voices, and learning idiosyncrasies for each and every dictator. It takes time--a few months or more. Be patient, and the line counts will surely add up as you become more familiar with the account.
Kitchen appliance graveyard
In the midst of moving last weekend, I discovered my long forgotten kitchen appliance graveyard. All the cool gadgets that I thought I HAD to have at the time that have long since moved into that cabinet. I had three juicers dating back to the 80's, an ice cream maker, a sandwich maker, a George Foreman grill, a food dehydrator, and a the most recent one I got for Christmas, a smoothie maker. Oh the humanity! I have decided to resurrect some of them for fun and because I feel so guilty. How about you all ? Anyone suffer from this gadget collecting problem?
ants on the kitchen table
Anybody else have a problem with ants on the table. We even fogged the house, used raid and still they come back. Any suggestions?
I use Scrubbing Bubbles, too. Windex in the kitchen.
Bleach with water and Lysol spray to disinfect. I keep a backup can of Comet around in case I run out of everything else. Pledge on the wooden kitchen table just for fun. I don't like the kitty on the counters or table, so he slides across the slippery surface after I use Pledge. Most entertaining. And Brite to shine the kitchen floor so we can watch the dogs skittering around corners while playing with kitty.
Really? What's good flooring for the kitchen and bathroom?
I definitely need something that will hold up to water. I'm just so tired of redoing the flooring in this house. We've only been here nine years and I'm tired of always remodeling or redoing everything. This is the very last time.
Oh, my!. I HAVE been there, desk in kitchen while dishes pile up and so on.
The little ones, at least, from this distance are happy memories and much missed. It really does get a LOT easier, I promise, and sooner than you can imagine, up over your head in it all as you are. Keep taking lots of deep breaths.
Probably any kitchen gadget type place- Bed, Bath, Beyond,
I have had mine for years, about $10. I think I got mine at Lechters, don't know if they still exist though. But I am sure BBB would have it, who knows Wal-Mart probably does too.
Yep, 8 hrs in a hot kitchen on the burger broiler, at an amusement park.
s
Ceramic tile, but who puts carpet in a kitchen?
z
In the kitchen having breakfast. Turned on the TV and Charlie Gibson was on
when it was after 9:00. The first building was smoking behind him and he was describing it, not yet realizing what was going on. Then the second plane glided into view, and thinking it was a small observation plane, I said - "Get back, you idi*t, you're too close!" Then it hit, of course, and Charlie processed it in his brain and announced what I couldn't get my mind around: "Then this was no accident."
Get you a timer and sm....
and see if you are actually working that entire time or if you are like me and very distracted and really only work 5 of the 8 hours. I am terrible about checking emails, looking out the window, surfing the internet, etc., etc. and once I really look at how long I worked I really only got in about a third the time I thought I was actually working. This may not be you at all, but this would help you to see if this is part of the problem. You might also get you a notepad that you have on your desk and write down everytime you answer the phone, answer a question from spouse or kids, got up to do something, etc. and see what type of distractions are taking away from your working time. I am talking from experience here. If I was not so distracted I would probably do at least 2000 lines a day but I am lucky to get 1300. Just a thought and good luck.
Timer
XNoteStopwatch.com
A real old old timer
When I learned how to type in high school, we had the manual typewriters with no letters on the keys. The first electric typewriter when I was a senior, was awesome! You barely had to touch it. I can't remember either the name of the first "word processor" I used, but I know that soon after came the "Mag Card". I definitely don't miss any of these. Yes, that was before production. Boy, just thinking about this makes me realize how "ancient" I am and how far technology has come in my lifetime.
TIMER FOR TRANSCRIPTION?
Here is a question for you gals (and guys). Where can I find a timer like the chess players use that you can hit the button and it stops, hit it again and it continues. I would very much like to be able to track just how much time I actually spend on transcribing versus jumping up and down doing housework, answering the phone, door, etc.
Thanks!
I used to use a timer, but not anymore.
It would jump the living daylights out of me every time as I was "in the transcribing zone." :)
Sounds like me to a "T" -- I use a timer too - sm
I find if I set it in 15 minutes increments I get more done; then I try 30 minutes. I find with the harder doctors I can get up to 12-14 minutes an hour done that way. One doctor I can do 25-28 minutes in an hour this way (he's my favorite), even then though I only average about 160 lines an hour since I have to look up addresses, or look up an unfamiliar term, etc. All that slows you down too. I am getting better though in the time department but still have a long way to go. Kills me to think I can have my work done in 6 hours or less IF I would buckle down; don't know why I torture myself but need to give myself a good kick in the butt!
Is using a timer cheating?
I work on production only. I do have a set schedule, but the company I work for is fairly flexible. I have started using a timer where I set it for 60 minutes and stop it if I am interrupted, have to get up, etc. This gives me a more accurate picture of exactly how much I can type in an hour. Is this cheating not to just go by clock hour?
Only part timer here
and i have a housekeeper, have for years (say 12-15) even when it was just me and my child at the house. I do not like housework, never have so I have someone to come over not every week because only the 2 of us and the 3 furry ones. I do not think that expensive.
Part-timer, too sm
Half the year I only worked 15 hours a week, second half worked 30 hours a week and will make just over $30,000.
for old part-timer
Yes, I have.
I think 0 Vicryl looks weird.
The 0 could easly be lost somewhere. It makes more sense to be typed as 0-Vicryl, so that one knows where this '0' belongs. Otherwise it is just dangling there all by itself.
I looke it up and the right way is like that:
0 Vicryl
3-0 Vicryl.
This has no logic.
Is anyone watching Hell's Kitchen? If you think MT is hard, watch this show. The abuse of the
wannabe chefs is second only to MT abuse by the nationals. Really, to work in a kitchen in a restaurant seems the hardest job ever pressure-wise. I say this after watching "The Restaurant" and "Hell's Kitchen" reality TV. I wonder what the pay is to subject yourself to this agony and pressure.
Yard work, painting kitchen cabinets, sanding and priming
kitchen chairs. This morning went out to breakfast with DH and then ran a couple of errands, have already spread weed and feed in the yard and used weeder killer in other areas, cleaned off the patio, cleaned off the bookcase in the den, recycled some stuff, Freecycled some stuff - busy, busy, busy.
I use a stopwatch but I'd rather have a chess timer!
Makes a real difference for me!
Agree with Old Timer. Don't shortchange sm
yourself. A good education will make this very difficult profession a whole lot easier for you. After college, though, you should get a job in a hospital or clinic to get some good in-person mentoring. The MTs who don't do this and go straight to working at home end up having to struggle and never quite making it.
I'm an old-timer who loves PRD also and will share with you what little I know
PRD is DOS based and must run in DOS-based WP program.... I have a link that explains how to load WP DOS if you are interested. Looks pretty complicated to me... I gave up as realized I was eventually going to have to move to Windows. Bought InstantText which allows you to add PRD glossaries - but I hate it!!
http://www.columbia.edu/~em36/wpdos/windowsxp.html#installguide
Part-timer here and I have housekeeper
NM
Desktop Timer- Where can I get this online?
For Free.
Weber short timer
I too have only been with the company a short 3 months. Great supervisor, 2 good accounts. I do radiology and work 3rd shift so I do run out some nights. But plenty of opportunity to make it up during the day if I want. So far thats the ONLY negative I have seen. :) Good luck and welcome aboard.....
No distractions. Stay in your chair. A timer.
x
Use a timer and limit yourself, you'll feel much better
x
I do the same thing for set my timer for 20 minutes, that 1 nap does the trick usually for the rest
of my day (if I happen to be working during the day). If I start nodding off late at night, I just go to bed and get up early if need be to finish up.
(more than 1)Quiet, not coming here, timer, expander, deadlines - nm
x
At one time, someone posted a link for a free clock timer. sm
I've searched the archives but could not find it. It was for timing your actual time spent transcribing. Anybody remember what it was. TIA.
Get out the timer. You'll have to force yourself to work uninterrupted for periods of time.
Just keep in mind that you WANT the money. Best of luck!
You can also download (free) a product called Cool Timer from CNet.
You can set it to act like a stopwatch or to countdown time. I use it all the time and it has helped me immensely. I just have it open all the time on my toolbar. http://www.download.com/Cool-Timer/3000-2350_4-10062255.html
Digital
I am brain dead also, since I've been away from the "job" due to husband's illness. I do not see any replies on here. Please forward any good info to my E-mail. Appreciate it. Turn your back around here and technology changes, zap!
Going digital
Hi,
I read your post and was wondering if I could get in this thread? I don't have my own accts yet, I work for a small national and a large national. However, I am seriously thinking about getting my own accts. Before I go looking, I thought it would be good idea to have a digital system in mind and ready to set up.
One idea that I have seen that I found really interesting was in the Transcription Gear Catalog. There is a 2 page spread about their idigital system. This is a toll free dictation ASP, very similar to what the nationals have, I would think. With this system, you pay for the minutes that you will use during the month. Has anyone else used this type of system? Any thoughts about it?
digital
I have two different setups for digital. I have an internet based call in system, which allows me to set up Transcriptionist to receive the work directly to their systems using Express scribe and I also have a doctor who uses a handheld digital recorder that he uploads in the evenings and sends the work to me through Magic Vortex......There are several great companies for you to check out. RTKING, JAY VANCE, START STOP TRANSCRIPTION are a few good places to start with. There are also other options for sending and receiving work, such as FTP sites, Hypersend, Magic Vortex and many more.
Going Digital
I switched to my 5 accounts to digital using Jay Vance with Vance Digital in March. I absolutely LOVE it! Wish I would have done this 5 years ago! e-mail me with any questions.
digital sm
How on earth do you print to the docs? Do you both have to have the same WP program and do you supply them with a printer? The offices I worked with were too lazy to even take the tape out of the tape recorder, "not their job" so I gave up on asking them to do "anything at all" as they were so lazy. By the way, thanks for sharing, not too many are willing to do this; would rather play their hand close to their chest. You are a wonder! Thank you!
digital
I'm doing digital for my client and it's wonderful--no more traffic jams. They use Olympus handheld dictation devices. We use hushmail to upload the dictation and transcribed reports so they are encrypted and HIPPA compliant. It's fairly inexpensive -- I believe $30 a year. One nice thing about that you can be anyway to pick up your files as long as you have internet access. I've often taken my laptop with me on vacation to cover emergency work. Not that I want to work on vacation, but it makes the client feel better knowing you can access the work.
If you want to go digital this is what I did
Purchased DocShuttle Admin ($300) and DocShuttle Client for myself ($99), had doctor purchase DocShuttle Dictator ($99) and an Olympus recorder ($129). Rented FTP site (about $45/yr). Set up DocShuttle so once dictator docks the recorder, it takes file from recorder and erases recorder, imports into DocShuttle, goes to ftp site, posts new dictation, pulls off old. You may want to go to Bytescribe's site though and see if the program they have for doing it by email would work for you. If you are the only MT and they are the only client, then do it by email. Email me if you need any further clarifications.
digital
i went with transcriptiongear.com and have been very happy. you can email me with questions.
for those new to digital...
FTP stands for file transfer protocol. An FTP program transfers files (uploads and downloads) from a virtual warehouse on the Internet, called an FTP site. FTP sites are rented by size. FTP programs are free or cost a fee. You can post ANYTHING to an FTP site. You can put your's kid's first grade picture there. You can put your resume there. You can put your back up data from your Quicken there. You can put a love letter there. You can put a .wav file there. You can put a MSWord document there. You can create folders there. You can password protect your ftp site and some software allows encryption, different levels of user permissions, etc. Once it is there, anyone who has the password to your FTP site can then go and pull it off. i.e. TRANSFER the FILE. So if your doctor dictates on a digital recorder, downloads the voice file into his PC, then uploads the .wav file to the FTP site, you can go to the FTP site, download the .wav file, transcribe it, post a .doc back to the FTP site wherein your doc can then go to the FTP site, pull the .doc off. Voila!
Going Digital
Hello
My doctors use Olympus recorders. One doctor does well with the DS-10. The other uses the DS-330 (No longer in production). The DS-330 has the advantage of overwriting. For instance, if the doctor makes a mistake, he can back up and record over what he has already taped; however, this was a disadvantage for my other doctor, who taped over his entire morning of dictation by accident by hitting a wrong button. It depends on the doctor. With the DS-10, you cannot tape over anything. If you are sending the audio files over e-mail, you should consider first encrypting the file for confidentiality reasons before sending. I use e-mail, because it is free, and it was easiest to train the office staff to use. There is a free software program, ZipGenius that will encrypt your files. Yes it is free. When getting a handheld, you want to consider the types of files also. A .dss file is much smaller than a .wav file or a mp3 file. That is also why I went to Olympus recorders, because they record in .dss format, which makes for much faster upload and download times. If you have other questions, please e-mail me. Also as one poster has already said, the express scribe software is great and free as well. I bought the recorders. They have already paid for themselves in gas and time.
Lynn 
You would have go go digital
If you are doing digital for a national you already have the foot pedal if not then you will need to get one that would transcribe the type of files that will be sent to you, wav or dds. I don't do digital just the tapes but from what I have read you would need to get an FTP set up going so that you can transfer the documents and then if you have your pedal, you should be set to go. So just send out flyers/brochures giving your experience and stating what you will provide and go for it. But you will be a little limited since you only are available for digital and don't pick up and deliver back printed material. You might be able to do overflow for some local large clinics. Some might require a C-phone to dial into their equipment. Good luck.
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