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Serving Over 20,000 US Medical Transcriptionists

we've come a long way, baby!

Posted By: texan on 2005-12-30
In Reply to: I worked part-time in a hospital sm - long time MQr

As the old hymm goes "I wouldn't take nothing for my journey now"....  I did work on the belts too, my brother was my boss and loved to torture me about it!  Talk about archaic!  Now I am So spoiled!  (and so thankful).


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Long OPs all the way baby!!
Give me a long OP note, the longer the better. Love em, love em, love em....
In my family, shower for first baby only, unless it has been an unusually long time between
pregnancies and things would already be given away or outdated.  I had a regular shower for baby outfits, strollers, etc, but also had a "diaper/general use" shower for diapers, bath stuff, lotions, etc, and this was great because it gave me a chance to stock up.
It's been a long, long time since I've used a C-phone, sm
but I do think jobs can be paused.
I've been doing this a long, long time...

I used to make $70,000 and up a year and did so for most of the late 80s and 90s (one girl used to make six figures a year working 7 days a week!)  Because we were making more money than the supervisors and Medical Records Directors in hospitals, they began to switch to transcription services which were sprouting up all over the place.  Plus AAMT came into existence and even though in the beginning it claimed it was to fight for transcriptionists (although assured us it was NOT a union), they eventually morphed into an organization that was more management friendly.  They developed the "guidelines" and the 65-char line.  That was the beginning of the end for those high-end wages.  Then all those mickey mouse transcription schools popped up, and now outsourcing overseas.  YES, we're complaining. 


Troubles with Teething - Baby, Baby, Baby
Hi. My little guy is teething soooooo bad and I am wondering if any of you have some ideas that I can try, to hopefully make his life (and my life) a little easier to deal with? lol. We've tried Tylenol - with little pain relief, but much diarreha! We've tried Orajel - it seems to wear off too fast to make a difference. We've tried teething toys - help for only a few minutes (not nearly enough time for me to get any work done!). His appetite is normal, but his sleep schedule has been totally disrupted (as has mine). For the last 2 nights, he has woke up every couple hours. I would think he would be exhausted during the day....but he never goes to sleep. He is more fussy than usual and alittle more clingy, but overall he is very playful. His pediatrician gave me some suggestions (the above) that I have tried with little to no help, so I am desperate for new ideas! He is cutting multiple teeth right now (and just got a few new ones last week too) so he is in a lot of pain. Poor little guy. I appreciate all ideas that anyone has. Thanks in advance.  :)
My great-nephew standing in his baby bed in his beautiful nursey - he is the most adorable baby in t
nm
it's what you know, not how long you've been around.
I've worked with long-time MTs that didn't do very good work, had limited knowledge...and vice versa. What we ought to have is not what we're likely to be able to negotiate for either. Many factors involved, but i'd say 9 cpl for 10 yr or more...but best to get your foot in the door, where you are happy to be, and then negotiate up if possible when they see what you're made of.
One more thing, I've been in MT and QA long enough to know that just

feel like you had no trouble with the terminology, doesn't mean you didn't have trouble.


I have come across many MTs who believe they know what they are doing and really don't.


Not me. But I've waited for this for a long time.

Been through the daily grind for over 20 years.  At one point I even had all four of my kids in different schools, having to drop them off before leaving for work.  I don't miss it one bit. I still laugh when I'm lying on the couch in my pajamas reading the morning paper while all of the commuters are fighting for a place in line at Dunkin Donuts.


But with 4 kids, 3 still at home, my house has always been like Grand Central Station. I have never been able to complain about the quiet for sure. Hubby works nights so is here during the day and starting early afternoon there is an endless stream of hungry teenagers in and out as well as messy little grandkids.  I don't remember the last time that I was completely alone for more than an hour.  I wouldn't know what to do.


Oh, I've been doing this many long years, so I understand what SM

you're saying. I've been dept. supervisor, QA, all of it -- all long enough to realize that I am not infallible, for sure.


What I will say is that spending two hours reading reports aloud is not going to help me in any way, shape, or form. If I thought for a moment that it would make my work better, I'd be willing to sacrifice the time and do it.


It's really sort of like a tic, what I do when I transcribe, and I can't help it. I have tried to let stuff sit there and have the spellcheck catch it, but it's like a reflex action. I've backspaced to it before I had time to think about it. I know that I'm not really using my resources very efficiently.


I think I said in my first post that I started on typewriters and went from there to a computer with just a keyboard and monitor, and the only editing tool available to me was the backspace key. Mercy, I thought I'd died and gone to heaven. I transcribed that way until 1993 (? thereabouts), when I got my first spell check and word expander.


Unfortunately I don't. I've had it for a long time in the closet. nm
x
Best post I've read in a long time.
I tend to go back and forth with my feelings about this profession. In the mornings I am glad I do not have to get up, get ready and go to an office. Many times in the evening, after I have during the day and still have work to do, I feel like stuffing it all. Many times I am disheartened when I get my paycheck, but I am glad to be getting one, while my sister worries about getting laid off from her manufacturing job. MT has advantages and disadvantages.
Oh, my. That's the funniest thing I've read in a long time.
AHDI: Solving the world's problems, one foreign MT at a time.

ROLFMAO
Fun With "Rick" and Jane is the best/funniest movie I've seen in a long time! s/m
Okay, it's not Rick and Jane, but the censor wouldn't let me put the short form of Richard.    LOL
Oh I know, I've studied legal aspects of med recs, too, been in this a long time. sm
I totally get everything you say, and I don't argue with any of it.
But I work for a national that has had the same errors in the same normals for YEARS, so we're talking probably thousands of charts by now. I can't fix years of apathy. If I was in charge, you betcha I would.
The doctor's name is what's on the document, it still comes down to him/her.
I did it girls. I tossed my old headset in the trash and bought Bose. I've got a long
z
Honestly that is the most intelligent thing I've heard from an MT co. in a long time. Completely
You have to be able to retain knowledge.
You have to know how to reserach effectively.
You have to be able to use deductive reasoning.
You have to have confidence in your decisions and not constantly "need assurance."
You have to be able to separate sounds in your head that are both internal and from multiple external forces.
Some of these can be taught, some are innate, some take years to develop, some either you got it or you don't.
I use EXText with my current job and I've used at a couple of other jobs I've had. I've ne

used DocQscribe, but I have used Meditech, Cerner, Vianeta, the Precyse platform (I can't remember the name), Dolbey, and  Lanier platform I think was called Cequence (?). 


Out of all the different platforms I have typed on, I have liked EXText the best.  In my opinion, it's very user friendly, easy to learn, and I really like ESP which is the built in abbreviation expander.  Plus it is very easy to create your own normals which I love.  My fingers literally never leave the keyboard because there are macro keys for everything.  You can use your mouse if you prefer or learn the function macros.  I love it.  I think I'm more productive on EXText than with any other platform.


I hate Instant Text. It is expensive, long long learning
curve, and too much distraction for me.
How long should I wait after applying for a position before I follow-up. It has been as long as two
without hearing from some.  Just wondering if I should send an e-mail to follow-up to see if they received my resume or not.  I don't want to offend anyone but feel two weeks should be long enough for someone to at least acknowledge my resume and that I have applied for a position.  Right now I would accept anything even a note saying no thanks.  Any advice would be appreciated.  I haven't had to apply for a job for the past 10 years so I am a bit rusty at this.  Thanks again for any advice. 
Congrats! How long have you been a MLS and how long did you study for the test!

Please see message. I have three daughters with long, long hair.
I also have long hair down to my waist and my three girls have hair that long too. My daughter brought them home from school last year. I was devestated and grossed out!!!! I have never had to deal with lice. Anyway, we did the treatments and two of my girls broke out in a severe rash with the OTC stuff. Their little heads were so sore!! I thought I was being meticulous with eggs, only to find them hatching again down the road. A nurse at the pediatricians office suggested I try oil to suffocate them since my girls were allergic to the lice solution. I bought a huge bottle of veggie oil and dumped it on all three heads, plus my own. I then wrapped the heads in platic wrap and then a towel. I left this on for 30 minutes. It takes a while to wash out the oil, but we never, ever had the lice or eggs again!!! If you try this, make sure you put on an old shirt and put a towel around your shoulders. Obviously we were desperate, but we all have such long hair and very thick hair so I was willing to try anything. And I figured there was no chemicals involved so that was pretty safe. And it sure did help my littles ones since their scalps were pretty raw from the solution. Hope this helps and Good luck!
I had a problem with this for a long, long time sm
I have always worked days, like from 6-3. Over the last few years, it didn't matter how much sleep I got, I became real groggy between 7 and 11. Really shoots the day. Talked to my doctor and he said my blood pressure pills were the culprit but he refused to change me to another brand or dosage since I have multiple aneurysms (2 in the brain). My BP has been stable for a long time and he wants to "keep it on the low side". I tried taking them before I went to bed instead of early in the morning, but then I had headaches all day. So, I am changing to a night shift for a few months so I can sleep when those pills kick in and so far it is working pretty good. I stay mostly awake during my shift and die when I hit the bed from 6 am to 10 am, then I lay down again later in the afternoon for 2-3 hours. I still get 6-7 hours of sleep, it's just split up during the day, plus I am mostly awake now when I sit down to type. I don't have to deal with the heat in my office, either. It tends to warm up real fast in here with the south sun on the house and 2 pc's running all day, even with the air conditioner on.
Way back when, a long, long time
ago and in a galaxy far, far away, I had my own accounts also and some years cleared $75,000.  Yes it can be done, but you need to have your own accounts.  Also lots of delivery, and other duties involved.  I work for a large national now and make much less, but I got tired of accountants, having to deal with hardware problems, deadlines, driving deliveries, printing, printers, etc.  So I decided to simplify my taxes and stay home and just type.  Don't have to worry about computers either, because the company will just send me a new one. 
Long, long files. Seemed like they'd never end! I'd never go back to VA again. nm
s
Been in this biz a long, long time, 30+ years and....sm
I love/loved MTing. However, things have changed so much during these years. The job definitely gets easier; don't have to look up much, can decipher ESLs much easier, in other words, you get pretty comfortable with things and you have confidence in yourself. The more experience you have the easier the job, but....

I actually made more money 10 years ago!! We didn't have speech recognition and you actually got paid for headers/footers, demographics, carbon copies, etc., you got paid for what you did fairly; today, I am not so sure.

You will feel burned out at times, but that passes and you find you like your job again.

Good luck to you!!
Yeh baby
I forgot about him - ala Cool Hand Luke (yup, I am 43)
You can do this with a baby.
Lots of opinions on this subject I see.  You can do this.  I worked in house for more than 10 years, but came home to be with my kids too.  My schedule was a bit rough, I would work in the mornings during baby's nap time, then split my shift so I worked a night while he slept.  My desk was in the room next to him.  I then had another son and continued with the same pattern.  It is rough and you tend to lose some sleep, but it is well worth it.  It actually helps to do a split shift so your wrists don't get tired.  At any rate, my kids are older, both in school now and I still work in the mornings, do errands/housework in the afternoon, be here when they get home from school, do dinner and homework together, and after they are in bed, I finish up my shift.  I've been doing this for 10 years now.  I take my job seriously, I'm productive and have a 99% QA score.  My company is happy, I am happy, and my kids are happy that they have a mom home with them when they need her.  It depends on how disciplined you can be, but is is feasible  Keep in mind that babies are not babies forever (which is kind of sad).  Enjoy your little one!
RUN BABY, RUN
job with Soft Script. If you have a good job, keep it. Or, go elsewhere. You think the recruiter is rude, you haven't seen anything yet. Plus, they will lie to you, steal your lines and you will have to work 24/7 to earn more than minimum wage. You can do MUCH better.
YA BIG FAT CRY BABY
BOO HOO HOO
baby......
Sorry, but if you're nursing a baby while you're transcribing, neither job is being done properly. MT takes full concentration and you cannot have an ear out for the kids while you are trying to do the complex skill of medical transcribing.

Yes, women can do just about anything, but not all at one time!

A baby deserves their parent's undivided attention while they are being fed.
ERs, baby!
x
baby
do you know if the local high school teaches child care? Maybe, something like for a few hours would help, not very viable, but probably a lot cheaper. I have never researched this, just a thought. I've got two of my grands here now and it has been too long; barely got out of my nightgown!
Oh cry me a river, baby

Not on this planet, baby
Wake up and smell the coffee.
I don't know how it's possible to do this with a baby to contend with unless you put him in da
and demands just as much concentration.
Does anyone know about baby rabbits????
I found them today.  Their eyes are closed.  There is no mother in sight.  My dog already got 2, but I have fenced them in with enough space for the mother if she comes, but maybe my dog ate her  :(.  Should I move them.  I am watching the dog and not letting her out unsupervised, but I can't keep that up for too long.  Any advice would be appreciated.  I want to save them, but I don't have all day to look after them.
Baby rabbits
Mother rabbits only come to the nest to feed the babies at night to avoid drawing attention to the nest by potential predators.  The best way to determine if she is returning to the nest is to gently replace the grass/leaves that may have been covering the nest and place at least two peices of thread/twine/yarn over the nest in an X pattern and check in the morning to see if it is moved.  You can also try putting a lite dusting of flour on the ground to check for footprints (just be sure it is far enough away to prevent attracting ants to the babies).  While it can be done, the unfortunate fact is babies rabbits have an extremely high mortality rate when attempting to bottle feed, so if you can be sure the mother is still taking care of them, the best thing is to leave them alone.  If you are sure she is not feeding them do not attempt to feed them yourself, cow's milk can be fatal.  Contact a wildlife rehabilitator in your area and follow their instructions until they can pick it up.  Be sure to remember that it is also against the law to keep any "wild" animal. 
baby rabbits
Had somewhat similar situation and talked to wildlife people here (Wa state) they told me if the eyes were open, the baby was about 5 inches long, and the ears were standing up, it could survive on its own. Otherwise, ohoh. Sometimes you can locate the wildlife rescue org for your area on the internet.

Good luck to you - at least you are trying to help them.

One other thing they told me is that wild rabbits should not be domesticated - they are extremely unlikely to survive if handled.
not this baby's mama.
x
YEAH BABY
HEY YUCK - YOU ROCK!!!!!!!!
baby lotion - that's what I use
nm
whoa baby!!!!
I might have to get one for myself
oh baby, have mercy!
The only thing better would be one of him naked and playing bongos - still can't get that vision out of my head!!!! 
Yah, baby!!!! That one was a nailbiter to the end!

I know someone who'd love to have the baby
If she were to change her mind about abortion (which I pray she will)...
Working with a Baby
I have a 2-1/2 year old at home and I'm an IC for a small local transcription company. Since I've been doing this since she was a baby, she knows mommy has to work. She keeps herself busy and I'm able to take small breaks for diaper changes and snacks. I'm lucky to have a schedule where I just work in the a.m. from 9:00-12:30 and then work again from 9:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. when she's asleep. It's whatever works for you.
It depends on the baby

I tell people this all of the time - it all depends on the baby.  My oldest was difficult for a long time and breastfeeding was rough at first as I got mastitis twice with him and it hurt like the dickens, not to mention made me quite ill.  My second child was quiet, slept a lot, would drift off to sleep on her own - no crying at all - and my only feeding problems with her were that she had a weak suck so I would have to keep firm support behind her head to make sure she stayed fully latched, and I got pg again at 3 mos postpartum and had supply issues from that. My third child had no feeding issues, but was a screamer - he slept on a fairly predictable schedule but was quite loud most of the other times. He cried and cried for 3 mos, then turned into a happy outgoing baby. 


Now that they are 7, 4 and 3, I can honestly say that I could probably work with the 4 year old at home no problem, and might be able to work with the 3 year old at home (but many fewer daytime hours), but not together at the same time.  They were home sick last week and my hours were quite compromised during the day and I was exhausted from taking care of them at night so I did not stay up late to work. 


All of that being said, I do not think I could have put them in daycare until now.  My 3 yo just started in the 3yo room at daycare and it is a lot more like preschool in the morning, followed by lunch, nap and outside play, during which I pick him up ( I stop working to pick up my gradeschooler and the other two at 3pm).  He was OK with the twos but it was a little more unstructured and the kids are obviously less mature at that age. 


I would see how it goes - maybe you could hire a college student or a high school student to be a mother's helper some time during the day if you find that you need a little help.  If possible, negotiate a flexible schedule instead of specific times to be working - your baby will not care what your boss wants you to do. 


You will not know how new motherhood is until you experience it yourself. Everyone is different - your body will heal differently from anyone else's and your baby is unique.  I would keep an open mind. 


Congratulations on the baby!


"TrimSpa Baby"
Is this a safe product for most people? I have to take Lipitor for cholesterol-lowering. Do you think I could still use this? I'd really love to try it!
working with baby
Have you tried a carrier/sling-type thing to strap her to you while you work? I've been in your shoes before, I know how hard it can be...BUT it can be done..don't give up! Try to work when she's sleeping, at night, whenever you have a "free" moment, which I know are few and far between. Just know that your baby won't be a baby for long...indulge in it while it lasts...babies are wonderful!!!
The gorgeous baby
One solution may be one of those swinging bassinet (some vibrate and play music also) or, what I used to do with my boys, propping in a baby swing so that the baby can see you and feels less ignored. If you put receiving blankets on either side and in the front by their stomach they really will stay put. They may also sell props just for this use. Good luck