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Sounds like me to a "T" -- I use a timer too - sm

Posted By: Laura E. on 2006-09-16
In Reply to: Get you a timer and sm.... - passing through

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!


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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.
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." :)
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.
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
digital kitchen timer and a scratchpad ....
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.

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
Sounds like you are SM
working for one of the few remaining good companies.  Wouldn't it be wonderful if they all at least made an effort to even out the work?  When you factor in VR and the number of newbees that some companies hire, who just don't have the experience to do the difficult dictators, that makes a sorry life for those who do have the experience and can do it.  Which is why I say if "anyone" isn't happy with what they are doing, then they should look for a company that recognizes their MTs as human beings.  I think part of the problem is that the bigger companies are run by "suits" who don't have a clue about actual medical transcription, all they see is the bottom line and any way to make that bottom liine bigger is fine and dandy with them.  I even heard one of those "suits" say once that it didn't matter if all their MTs quit, they were just typists and the manager could just go out and hire some more.
Sounds like you have too much going on. Take

things in little bits.  (Un)pack/clean for 15 minutes and then work for a bit.   Set a realistic goal to work - say an hour that you can make yourself work, then get up and (un)pack/clean, do laundry, etc. and then come back and work.  If you can afford to work a few less hours do it.  It will give you time to complete the move and give you a break from work.


We are remodeling/redecorating and our house is total chaos.  Some days I can jump right in and get something accomplished and other times I put on blinders and just ignore it all.  Some days I dig right into work and knock out my lines, other days I'm on-line more than working.


Take a break, get refocused, and then try out different routines.  I think we all go through burnout at least once a year and sometimes it takes a bit to get refocused. 


 


Sounds about right
x
Thanks, sounds like just what I need.

It isn't that I can't afford either, just concerned that I don't want a 2 year process, because I need to start living now.


I don't need to know particulars, but just wondered how far back your trauma went?  Mine is pretty much a lifetime of traumatic events, but I think most of my issues date back to when I was 5. 


sounds like
Pfannenstiel scar
now this sounds better..
nm
Sounds like...
We need to take what THEY say with a huge chunk of something, and it sure ain't salt! Talk about "The Stepford Transcriptionists." Sheesh. Thanx for ur input - it was driving me nuts!
sounds like there
may have been a problem with their server.  Try it one more time.  If you get the same error page, click the 'refresh' key at the top of your screen to see if this brings the page up.  If it doesn't, you should call someone.
Sounds like MDI
Who do you work for - -if you don't mind saying.
Sounds like what I'm looking for.....
Thanks so much for the replies!
Sounds like my son. sm

My son had an economics project in junior high school. The class was split into groups. Each group was given $75.00 in cash and told to come up with something to make their money back. If they made any profit, it was theirs to keep and split.


My son went through all of the grocery store flyers until he found cans of Pepsi on sale. Then he called all of the pizza places to see if he could get a buy 1 get 1 free special. They bought a bunch of pizza and a bunch of Pepsi, set up a table at lunchtime,  and sold the pizza for $1.25 a slice and the cans of soda for $1.00 a can. They doubled the money, gave the original $75.00 back and split the rest.


Right now my son works in food services at a nursing home. I'm surprised he doesn't charge the residents for delivering their dinners.


Must be. Sounds just like them
nm
Sounds like PMC to me...
 
Sounds like they set you up to

No one can be 100%... 98.8 should be congratulated (IMO) Drs. make mistakes in dictating even.. they aren't 100%.


This sounds like an ad to me.
nn
Actually, it sounds like the old one is
nm
This sounds about right!
A Japanese company and an American company decided to have a canoe race on the Missouri River. Both teams practiced long and hard to reach their peak performance before the race. On the big day, the Japanese won by a mile. The Americans, very discouraged and depressed, decided to investigate the reason for the crushing defeat.

A management team made up of senior management was formed to investigate and recommend appropriate action. Their conclusion was the Japanese had eight people rowing and one person steering, while the American team had eight people steering and one person rowing.

So American management hired a consulting company and paid them a large amount of money for a second opinion. They advised that too many people were steering the boat, while not enough people were rowing.

To prevent another loss to the Japanese, the rowing team's management structure was totally reorganized to four steering supervisors, three area steering superintendents and one assistant superintendent steering manager.

They also implemented a new performance system that would give the one person rowing the boat greater incentive to work harder. It was called the "Rowing Team Quality First Program", with meetings, dinners and free pens for the rower.

There was discussion of getting new paddles, canoes and other equipment, extra vacation days for practices and bonuses.

The next year the Japanese won by two miles. Humiliated, the American management laid off the rower for poor performance, halted development of a new canoe, sold the paddles and cancelled all capital investments for new equipment.

The money saved was distributed to the Senior Executives as bonuses, and the next year's racing team was outsourced to India.

Sounds like she does not know what she is doing.
Maybe your company does not pay much for QA or have high criteria
It sounds like......sm
It sounds like they are basing this on income only, not income and output (her bills). She should talk with the folks at Social Service as they can probaby negotiate a better deal for her, either there or somewhere else.

Good luck! :)
sounds like....
the other poster's Stedman's and mine conflict a little. Mine is:
Stedman's Orthopaedic & Rehab Words, Third Edition (1999) so her's may be more up-to-date.

So, share with us what you said and what QA said. I'm curious!!!!
Sounds like my ex also.....sm
very abusive...mine wasn't that controlling, but he was disrespectful to me and did lots of things to hurt and humiliate me, to the point of double dating behind my back with his oldest daughter and her boyfriend, and on our anniversary to boot. I am out of that mess, met a much nicer guy who is secure with himself and am happier because of it.
Sounds like you seriously need to consider the
How do I know if I am in an abusive relationship? What are the signs and symptoms of an abusive relationship?

The more of the following questions that you answer Yes to, the more likely you are in an abusive relationship. Examine your answers and seek help if you find that you respond positively to a large number of the questions.

Your inner feelings and dialogue: Fear, self-loathing, numbness, desperation

* Are you fearful of your partner a large percentage of the time?
* Do you avoid certain topics or spend a lot of time figuring out how to talk about certain topics so that you do not arouse your partner’s negative reaction or anger?
* Do you ever feel that you can’t do anything right for your partner?
* Do you ever feel so badly about yourself that you think you deserve to be physically hurt?
* Have you lost the love and respect that you once had for your partner?
* Do you sometimes wonder if you are the one who is crazy, that maybe you are overreacting to your partner’s behaviors?
* Do you sometimes fantasize about ways to kill your partner to get them out of your life?
* Are you afraid that your partner may try to kill you?
* Are you afraid that your partner will try to take your children away from you?
* Do you feel that there is nowhere to turn for help?
* Are you feeling emotionally numb?
* Were you abused as a child, or did you grow up with domestic violence in the household? Does domestic violence seem normal to you?

Your partner’s lack of control over their own behavior

* Does your partner have low self-esteem? Do they appear to feel powerless, ineffective, or inadequate in the world, although they are outwardly successful?
* Does your partner externalize the causes of their own behavior? Do they blame their violence on stress, alcohol, or a “bad day”?
* Is your partner unpredictable?
* Is your partner a pleasant person between bouts of violence?

Your partner’s violent or threatening behavior

* Does your partner have a bad temper?
* Has your partner ever threatened to hurt you or kill you?
* Has your partner ever physically hurt you?
* Has your partner threatened to take your children away from you, especially if you try to leave the relationship?
* Has your partner ever threatened to commit suicide, especially as a way of keeping you from leaving?
* Has your partner ever forced you to have sex when you didn’t want to?
* Has your partner threatened you at work, either in person or on the phone?
* Is your partner cruel to animals?
* Does your partner destroy your belongings or household objects?

Your partner’s controlling behavior

* Does your partner try to keep you from seeing your friends or family?
* Are you embarrassed to invite friends or family over to your house because of your partner’s behavior?
* Has your partner limited your access to money, the telephone, or the car?
* Does your partner try to stop you from going where you want to go outside of the house, or from doing what you want to do?
* Is your partner jealous and possessive, asking where you are going and where you have been, as if checking up on you? Do they accuse you of having an affair?

Your partner’s diminishment of you

* Does your partner verbally abuse you?
* Does your partner humiliate or criticize you in front of others?
* Does your partner often ignore you or put down your opinions or contributions?
* Does your partner always insist that they are right, even when they are clearly wrong?
* Does your partner blame you for their own violent behavior, saying that your behavior or attitudes cause them to be violent?
* Is your partner often outwardly angry with you?
* Does your partner objectify and disrespect those of your gender? Does your partner see you as property or a sex object, rather than as a person?

This sounds like a little boy to me *S*....not fun (sm)

Sounds like my dad, X, and I would not put up with that s**t for long.  Blessings to you.


 



That sounds like what I was having. sm
It is from sitting too long in one position. I am working now on daily exercise on a treadmill to keep the deconditioning and to promote circulation.

I also found that if I keep my bed at an incline like they suggest for obstructive sleep apnea, that this helps quite a bit.

It also helps to do calf stretches before you go to bed and application of Ben-Gay has helped me in the past, too.

Massage the knots out until the muscle is back smooth when they occur. This will hurt a bit, but it helps in the long run.

The above is not a quick fix, but it certainly helps.

This sounds like the same -

company I work for.  What are the initials of the company?  I may be able to help you.


It sounds like you may
have some issues with depression and/or anxiety. Maybe too much isolation? Maybe you should speak to your doctor. I'm not saying this to be mean, I'm being serious. If the very simple act of people laughing makes you tense up, that is a serious problem.
I will have to try that - sounds like fun. nm
x