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schedule for those doing pool work

Posted By: Vicki on 2008-11-17
In Reply to:

I mentioned this in my previous post, but thought I would post a new topic since it is specific to pool workers.


Can those of you who do pool work tell me how you schedule your day?  Do you aim for XX lines, XX hours, etc.?


Also, do you sit down for a straight XX hours or do batches?


 


Thanks,


 


Vicki




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If you work from a pool, it's onlyl a matter of returning a dictation to the pool for the poor sucke
,
I get my work from an FTP site that they load the work to, however I don't have pool work so to
speak, but I tell them how many minutes a day I want.  The work is generally put in my box by 5 pm every day, then I have until 10 am the following day for some priority work, or 3:30 pm for the rest, so TAT is not too bad. I would like to work less at night though, but I working on that. My downside is I do not get the same dictators day to day, there are a few I do on a semi-regular basis though, some generate great lines but take longer to do that other doc's and are not "money-makers", I also do not get paid for spaces so that hurts a bit too.  This is WP5.1 too.....so very antiquated but that is what the hospital uses, so not much choice there. But I understand what you mean about the C-phone. I was just doing another job with C-phone recently...they incidentally did not tell me how to get off of the system, which was very simple.  I'd finish a job, then hit stop and hangup if I wanted to get off or quit working.  That is what you need to do if you want to sleep, eat, etc.  Don't feel guilty, do what you signed up for, believe me they watch the pools and will get others to do the work you don't finish.  If they get on your case remind them that you are only PT and only want 500 lines a day, etc.  It's not worth killing yourself over.  Good Luck.
We must work for the same pool! :) sm

I have a dictator that sounds like an older gentleman from the south and he will always say, "I thank you very much for typing this for me. Have a nice day."


I always say, out loud, "You too sir" because it's so totally unexpected to hear it.


I even have a guy that talks 1000 mph and ends his dictation in a robotic voice in one sentence with no spaces and his last name, like this:


thisisendofdictationthankyoufortypingthisSmith.


 


 


I do pool work
I have to get a minimum of 1200 lines in an 8-hour shift, which is more than enough time to hit the minimum. I do acute care and do have a backup account, which I work on infrequently since my primary rarely runs low. I take a 10-minute break every 2 hours just to get up and move around a bit. I hope that answers your question.
Thanks. My work pool has become the detritus that others will
not do. Mostly ESL docs with heavy accents. Over the past few months, I have been relegated the worst of the worst, and, on some occasions, find myself working for about $2 bucks an hour. This morning I've gotten jobs from three days ago that were apparently tossed back, floated around like a turd circling the drain. I send nothing back, I've always transcribed these reports, hoping to get past them to the better dictators. The consequence: This morning I got one after another of these horrific reports until I finally gave up in despair. Sorry for the rant. I'm pissed.
Why doesn't she take the PC into the pool , that might also work...nm
nm
If you work from a pool, it's when others are leaving you the crappy reports by skipping over the
s
Email your supe to make sure they activated your work pool
I had this happen at another company. The supe had failed to add any accounts to my work pool.
what? i have a schedule to work.
i said it sounds like a mgmt problem. it does. mgmt is who allows people to work off schedule.

geez, get over it.
I always work off-schedule when there
is the need. What I am talking about is those who not only work their schedule, but other MT's schedules as well and take work away from others. To answer your question, the type of MT business where other MTs are allowed to infringe on someone else's schedule after already working their own, is definitely not my idea of how the MT business should be run. Greed is ugly no matter how you try to dress it up and make it pretty.
work schedule
Is it just me? Every single company that I have investigated is now insisting on a schedule of either Sunday-Thursday or Tuesday-Saturday. Why can't I work Monday-Friday?! I don't mind a rotating weekends a couple times a month, but I'd really like to have my weekends for me and the kids! Okay my vent is over...I feel a little better now.
I used to work the same schedule.
This is what worked for me:

You have to stay in the graveyard shift even on weekends. It won't work trying to change on weekends. If you choose to work through the night, you'll need to live that schedule 7 days a week.

If you are sleeping immediately after your shift, you might need to allow about an hour to relax or settle a bit before attempting sleep. I always allowed myself to get a hot shower before going to bed. Helped me relax.

Don't drink any caffeinated beverages the last 4-5 hours of your shift. Don't drink/eat anything the last 2 hours before you plan to go to bed. It all interferes with sleep.

I had sound/light-cancelling window treatments in my bedroom and used a sound machine with nature sounds, not music. Music tends to engage your mind rather most of the time.

The ear plugs, I tried and did not like. Dark mask, I tried and did not like. I sure did not want to take any drugs just to get sleep.

You might have to have a few rough days/nights to get into it. Don't nap. Only sleep when you're supposed to.

Not everyone is cut out for it. And it is damaging to the body. I remember seeing a news documentary on the effects of 3rd shift on heart disease being as significant as smoking a pack a day.

work schedule - sm
Last summer, I was running out of work all the time, using PTO and time off without pay and making up time at night to try to make my lines. After much soul-searching, I decided to change my schedule to evenings. My CCM allowed me to "try" the new schedule for two weeks and see how I liked it. Like you, when I run out of my BOB, I work on other accounts. I have only run out of work a few times since last summer (mostly when the system went down for some reason). There is plenty of work during my shift, and I consider myself quite malleable when it comes to covering other shifts (like you) when requested, working overtime when the work is heavy, and picking up new accounts. I do not consider this an injustice. I consider it an opportunity. I guess that is why I have lasted in this field for so long. MTs have to learn that they are not self-employed. They work for a COMPANY. That means they are committed to the company's needs. At least that's my attitude. I enjoy my work, have good rapport with my CCM, and have a sense of pride in what I do, and - did I mention? - I am also making a living at it.
If greedy MTs would work their schedule...
management would not have to remind them to stop stealing work from another MTs schedule.
A question for you who work off schedule.
Do you also cherry pick in order to get those all important lines and extra bucks?  It would seem to me that someone who doesn't care about his fellow MTs as far as line counts, would be someone that doesn't care across the board.  So screw them any way you can, right?  Take all the lines your greedy little hands can grab and also make sure those lines are the cream of the crop, as well.  Might as well give the other MTs the shaft all around.
I have to work a schedule for each company.
I have lots of breaks in my schedule though. I've done this a long time. In my younger years, I went through a phase of feeling burned out but I was able to work through it. Now, I know how much money I need/want to make and just do it.

Some days it is much more difficult than others. Gotta admit to that. Most of the time, though, I hit it pretty hard at the first of my shift with each company so by the time I'm finishing up, I don't have to work as hard.

You go by your schedule and have no work. Everytime I get on to work, there is always work.
x
Most jobs want a set schedule for work at home, from what I can tell -sm
there are very few that allow you to work when you want to anymore. I have 2 luckily that are 24 hour TAT so as long as I meet deadline they don't care when I work. You will unlikely find an at home job where you make much more than $10 an hour since ESL is 80% of any job anymore. So if that trade off is worth it for you, less money, more freedom, go for it.
No, though my husband does use it to print out his work schedule for
but that is it. He has his own work laptop but no printer to it. Kids have my old computer to use for now but Santa is bringing a new one supposedly (Uncle and GPs say they are buying one, we will see).
We were specifically instructed to work our schedule
and that working off the clock was not permissable, that nowhere was working off the clock permitted. That if the acct required us outside of our shift, we would be called by management. It is to prevent taking work from the scheduled MTs (as well as unapproved OT.

So, I am not dreaming this up. This was made clear. They gave us a shift to work, we clock in and clock out during those shifts. If they need us after our shift is up, they will contact us.


I work as an IC, get .105 with full -time schedule. NM
NM
Also, I work a set schedule w/the hosp but the online co
hours are more flexible (because I'm IC status).  I took out my own health insurance, so I'm not bound to any company, just in case. 
Pretty presumptious on your part. I work my own schedule,
off schedule according to you. I can work when I want, that's what an IC does. Yes, if we're working at the same time then we're both working, that's what we do. You presume too much to think that people who don't work regular set hours and who work when they want to make their line counts are also cherry pickers. Getting petty here and this sounds like it's just to start trouble. Bravo!
ICs are not required to work a specific schedule, true? SM

I had my meeting today with the HIM director of one of my accounts.  My contract is to do all the clinic work and provide 24 to 48 TAT.  Today, the director tells me she wants me to log in no later than 9:30 a.m. Monday through Friday.


I, of course, balked at this.  I basically outlined the terms of our contract which states that I will give them 24 to 48 hour TAT, but that I am not required to adhere to a specific work schedule.  I set my own hours.  I don't necessarily have a problem logging in by 9:30 a.m. most days, but there are some days when I have morning appointments and commitments and let's face it, that's why I'm an IC, so I can have that flexibility!


I don't think this lady has any concept of what an IC is or what a contract is for that matter.  She acts like I'm her employee.  She tells me she has looked into some of the national companies and that they can guarantee her a set schedule.  I'm sorry but I only charge her 0.12 cpl, I print up the work and deliver it three times a week.  Plus I'm picking up tapes and transcribing them as well!


I think it's time for her to see what else is out there.  What do you guys think?


Pool
We have an above ground pool, but my friends across the street have an in-ground. We live in NY and they paid about $20,000 for their pool. It's fiberglass with cement around it and fenced in (of course). It's a great time to have a pool here with the hot weather we've been having. Have fun.
working in a pool
Hello, I have been doing medical transcription for 11 years, most of them as an IC. 2 years ago I changed companies from which I get my work and, for the first time, I am in a pool situation. Here's my question. Is it standard procedure (or normal) when you are working in a pool to not be able to pass on doctors that you cannot do well or just find too frustrating to do? In all the years I have been doing transcription, this is the first time I have not been able to say I can't or do not want to do that doctor. I am expected to do whatever comes up in my pool, regardless of whether or not I do them well, and at the same time keep my accuracy up at 97%, and not send all of the jobs to QA. It is a very frustrating situation and honestly, for the first time in 11 years, has me thinking about quitting altogether. MrsBTFuller

I have only worked in 1 pool myself but - sm
when I first started you could send back work. I had 1 doctor I absolutely hated and could not do, so I'd send him back. Then they "updated" at some point and you could not send work back. I ended up having that doctor removed from my pool (I ask mgmt) since he killed my QA. We were only allowed to send in 5% of our work every month (not a day, a month) to QA. So out of the 300+ reports I would do a month I could only send 15 to QA, the other 285 had to have no blanks, or only 1 blank ....we were allowed to send it through with 1 blank. Needless to say this was a difficult thing to do with 80% ESL. I'm sure it can be done if you take 30+ minutes or more for each report to make sure it is perfect, but most of us do not have that luxury....we need to eat, pay rent, mortgage, etc. All I can say is good luck.
working in a pool

Not that it helps any, but I'm glad I'm not the only one that feels this way.  I would love to just have them remove my "bad doctor", but when I bring it up I'm just told that I will get better at him, or they will remove me from that pool.  The only thing that is stopping me from just quitting is that I just hate changing companies and all that entails.  Not sure what I will do.  I really should have asked this question before I started working in this situation.


We have had our pool for 2 summers. sm
The first pool we got from Academy Sports and it was totally awful.  The side walls were not thick enough.  It kept busting at the seams.  It did not last 10 days.  So, needless to say, we took it back.  We then got the 18 x 4 at Walmart and it has been great with no problem whatsoever.  Do not use more than 1 waterhose to fill it up though.  If you do that, it will not stand up right.  As much as I want a regular hard side pool, this will definitely suffice for a few more years.  Happy Swimming!
Inground pool
I don't know if this will help you or not but we live in CA and paid about $35,000 for our pool, although we got great discounts because we did it at the same time as our neighbor, who is in the pool supply business and lined up all the subcontractors. So it's probably more like a $50,000 pool. We love it! It almost always takes longer than the estimated time, so if you do have it done this summer you may not be swimming until next summer. Best of luck to you!
It goes back to the pool nm
xx
Yes, the gene pool stops there.

I'd be in my pool for the 2nd time this year.

Need to add, old job I have own accts, new job will be working from pool. nm
:+
114° here in AZ. Our pool feels like a bathtub. It's HOT!
n
We had one in our pool yesterday. My husband
got it out and killed it. I am trying to identify it on the internet. The only thing I can come close to is a Tiger Rattlesnake. It is a baby, about a 12" or 14" long and has a diamond shaped head. We are in Texas and haven't lived here very long.
My #4 key is a return to pool key. Depends on how you are set up. nm
nm
take my lunch break and take a dip in the pool

Inground pool questions

Has anyone had an inground pool installed?  I am trying to see approximately how much it costs.  I live in PA and my husband and I have heard some wide-range prices and I would like to hear from any of you who have installed one.  I am mainly seeing which type, i.e., fiberglass, cement, etc and how much it costs. 


 


Thanks in advance for taking the time to help us out 


Not only that, but the poster is putting this man in a pool sm
with every single person who does MT transcription in India. That's kind of like being mad at every single driver on the road when you've lost a loved one to a drunk driver.

I am just sick and tired of the intolerance in this country and the I-am-better-than-you attitude because these people are of a different origin. No wonder there is no world peace. It starts small. If you continue to think small then big problems in our society will never be solved.



I hope your PC falls into the pool...nm
nm
Not an MQ employee but have always transcribed via turnaround pool.
The office manager I worked for set it up so they could bill faster, i.e., ERs in 24 hours or less, op notes, discharge summaries, etc. She said it made for a better cash flow for the hospital. That's probably what MQ is trying to accomplish, maybe per client request.
Whatever, then may you all have a good time in your pool of name calling. (nm)
x
anyone else upset with recent changes at DSG and so-called pool changes?
I am definitely upset with the recent changes, and don't trust management when they say it's for the MTs benefit. All I can see from these changes is a HUGE decline in the quality of dictators I am getting, slowing me down big-time, almost like all the decent ones are missing. Does anyone know what's really happening at DSG lately?
chlorine is bleach, only stronger in a pool--sm
some people think that just because it is packaged and used almost on a daily basis, that it is safe. It is a harsh chemical and it is not surprising to me that it would cause hoarseness when swallowed. Just breathing it, for me, causes lung and breathing problems. He may be extra sensitive to it. Don't poo-poo is just because somebody else says "he is fine". It is a chemical...and if you don't believe me, swallow some yourself and see what happens...duh.
our pool feels like a steam bath...nm

Yes, it does take a long time. Usually 2-3 days. We have a pool too and of course I cut around that.
And to the poster who suggested I get the mower fixed. Well, you have to put the mower on the trailer and take it to the place to get it fixed and I just can't do that with the 2 little ones right now! LOL I can do everything else, but I can't work on that trailer! It's huge (14 feet long) and I have to put it on the hitch and that is hard!

Even with all of this, I wouldn't trade any of this for anything.....Nick Hotel here we come......
Yes, Yes! Sue the OWNER of the plastic pool because they did not secure it properly. Now it was a
deadly object due to THEIR negligence! Just think of the $$$. 
Please, I transcribe from a lounge chair at the pool during the summer.

That way my daughter gets some time at the pool having fun, I get work done.  I do mostly VR, so not a lot of actual transcribing involved, just a word here or comma or period there. 


I've worked from the beach in Key West.  I've worked from the lake.  I take my laptop when visiting family around the holidays.  That is the beauty of having an at-home job and a laptop.  You can take your work with you anywhere and never miss out on family life!  And no I do not sacrifice privacy or accuracy.  I'm good at what I do.  I'm one of those fortunate MTs that could transcribe in grand central station with trains coming and going and thousands of people milling about.  I'm very focused.  Once the headphones are in my ears, you have to pretty much send up a flare or smack me upside my head to get my attention and then you will scare the bejeezus outta me when you do. 


Don't knock it until you try and just because you can't work in anything but total silence and solitude, doesn't mean that everybody needs total silence and solitude.


Yep, I say a combo suit with the landscapers! And the baby pool owner!!

Keep in mind that Amphion is NOT Medquist. The lottery pool is VERY small.
....if any of this is even true.