Wow! So, last week was CRAZY! I typed almost 100,000 characters every day! It was insane! This week is a lot slower and I feel it is due to the nasty icy weather that hit the south. I don't mind too bad! Last week about killed my hands and wrists! I was sleeping in my braces at night to ease the pain and rubbing in BenGay and taking Arthriten for my pain! Needless to say, I am thankful for this slow down!
Rob went back to school today though :( This makes for a VERY quiet house, and I am not used to that! Even the dog is being lazy and sleeping, after she chased her tail for 30 minutes on my bed that is (I think she feels her tail is out to get her!!).
I am not really sure what to type about today. I just knew I had some time so I thought I would come here :) So, lets talk PROOFREADING :)
I feel like a teacher! haha.
Okay. So, I am a self-proclaimed anti-proofer. Yes, I know BAD MT! Anyway, I will admit that I hate it. Admitting the problem is half the battle right?? So, my anti-proofing attitude kept me on post review (quality assurance) for over a year! Finally an email that said "concentrate on quality for this next 90 days" snapped some sense into me! I felt that was an email saying, you have 90 days to shape up! And shape up I DID!
I am now FINALLY off post review and all my work goes straight to my doctors. This was a hard thing for me because I am all about speed! I have had to make myself take a break after every single file and read it. This catches little things like expansions gone wrong (such as "This is a" instead of "transient ischemic attack" one is tia the other is ;tia so this happens more often than I prefer). Anyway. I read every file as soon as I finish it. Then, once all of that days' dictations are done for that particular doctor, I read the FULL file, this could be up to a 30 page document of files. I don't really read word for word this time, I mostly just skim and look for my most common mistakes. This whole process of proofing takes me an extra hour a day probably, but I am off post review and no longer scared for my job!
Lesson learned....PROOFREAD. Even if you hate it. Proofread. I have found that proofing even my facebook statuses has made this easier. I am getting faster at proofreading because I am getting more practice at it. :) I think also, my proofing shows me my trouble areas and through the proofing, I learn what to watch for AS I type. Like if I type "tia" or ";tia" I will stop the audio if needed and assure that this is expanding the way I meant it to. I think if I had done this during the Career Step course, I would not be having as many issues now. I blame it all on laziness and the need to get as much done as humanly possible!
Okay, I am going to stop there and just say, whether you are in school or working at the moment, PROOFREAD! It is important!
I am off to have some lunch in my quiet house and maybe read a bit...who knows. :)
Sharon ♥
P.S. I am starving, so I didn't proof this post! I will do it later this afternoon!! haha. see...anti-proofer!
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Insurance benefits renewals make this a busy field..also, a moment of understanding.
The title says it all. This week I have been working my fingers off... Honestly, I have typed so much that I am having to wear braces at night while I sleep to help with wrist and hand pain (darn the early arthritis). I have typed an average of 80,000 characters every day this week so far! Today doesn't look a whole lot less busy either! Just with my first pull for work, I pulled in 1 hour and 45 minutes of dictation!!! WOW!!!
Why the sudden influx of work?? It is called insurance renewal! Every January insurance policies start over, so the people who needed to go to the doctor in late November and December are coming NOW because they have benefits again! This makes us very busy MTs and it makes the doctors very busy as well. So, this makes their dictations a bit more of a challenge at times because just as we are typing faster to keep up, they are talking faster so that they can get on with their lives!
This also explains the hiring slowdown we all experience in late October to mid January. It is due to less patients which in turn mean less dictations. Companies don't need new MTs because the work is slow. When the work picks back up, so will the hiring processes! The summer is the best time because so many MTs take their week of vacation and the companies need people to cover them and so new MTs are brought in and a lot of times, kept.
Now, my moment of clarity/understanding...
I always want to call a doctor and say..."there is someone else on the end of that dictation doctor, please be considerate."
But this week, I have thought about it. If I were a doctor and had just seen 15 patients in 1 day and then headed to the hospital for rounds, and possibly a few surgeries...would I REALLY want to sit for an hour dictating reports and if I can talk faster and cut this to 45 minutes? When I realized that I would probably be one of those fast-talking, multi-tasking doctors, I realized that I need to be patient with my accounts :)
So. All you MTs out there reading this. Put yourself in the doctor's shoes. I know for a fact that 4 of my doctors have young children, how would you feel if you had been away from them all day seeing patients and then had to dictate before spending time with them?
All you doctors out there that might read this, Speak quickly, but please remember that we can only listen so quick and our fingers have their limits. I really hate slowing down dictation because it makes you sound like a melted record, and quite honestly its creepy... So, you can speak quickly, but try to speak clearly also...oh, and keep the paper shuffling to a minimum.
One more thing.....
For those "stall dictators" as I call them.... For Pete's sake WASH YOUR HANDS!!! We can hear the things going on around you during dictation and we KNOW that you walked out of the stall and right out of the bathroom door!! ...Yes....I went there and now you are either blushing or laughing! haha.
Okay.. enough for today... I must run, I have doctors waiting for me :)
Sharon ♥
Why the sudden influx of work?? It is called insurance renewal! Every January insurance policies start over, so the people who needed to go to the doctor in late November and December are coming NOW because they have benefits again! This makes us very busy MTs and it makes the doctors very busy as well. So, this makes their dictations a bit more of a challenge at times because just as we are typing faster to keep up, they are talking faster so that they can get on with their lives!
This also explains the hiring slowdown we all experience in late October to mid January. It is due to less patients which in turn mean less dictations. Companies don't need new MTs because the work is slow. When the work picks back up, so will the hiring processes! The summer is the best time because so many MTs take their week of vacation and the companies need people to cover them and so new MTs are brought in and a lot of times, kept.
Now, my moment of clarity/understanding...
I always want to call a doctor and say..."there is someone else on the end of that dictation doctor, please be considerate."
But this week, I have thought about it. If I were a doctor and had just seen 15 patients in 1 day and then headed to the hospital for rounds, and possibly a few surgeries...would I REALLY want to sit for an hour dictating reports and if I can talk faster and cut this to 45 minutes? When I realized that I would probably be one of those fast-talking, multi-tasking doctors, I realized that I need to be patient with my accounts :)
So. All you MTs out there reading this. Put yourself in the doctor's shoes. I know for a fact that 4 of my doctors have young children, how would you feel if you had been away from them all day seeing patients and then had to dictate before spending time with them?
All you doctors out there that might read this, Speak quickly, but please remember that we can only listen so quick and our fingers have their limits. I really hate slowing down dictation because it makes you sound like a melted record, and quite honestly its creepy... So, you can speak quickly, but try to speak clearly also...oh, and keep the paper shuffling to a minimum.
One more thing.....
For those "stall dictators" as I call them.... For Pete's sake WASH YOUR HANDS!!! We can hear the things going on around you during dictation and we KNOW that you walked out of the stall and right out of the bathroom door!! ...Yes....I went there and now you are either blushing or laughing! haha.
Okay.. enough for today... I must run, I have doctors waiting for me :)
Sharon ♥
Saturday, January 1, 2011
It is a New Year!
First off, Welcome to 2011!! :) I celebrated with one of my oldest and best friends, her husband, her other best friend, her husband, and most of our kids (Holland was with Rob). We all played games all night and enjoyed some great laughs, wonderful memories, and just had a great time. Rob and Holland went to the home of some of Rob's oldest friends to hang out for a few hours, and then came back to me at around 11:45 so that we could ring in the new year together. It was a good time, even if the horns were noisy ;) haha.
I have never been at another friends' home for a party without someone with me. This was a first for m, and because this was something that would never have happened in my past marriage...I want to post a blog about what I am thankful for....Simply because those hours at my friends' party made me realize how far I have come.
My freedom! This is a big one. I was once married to a man who asked me what I wanted for Christmas. I said "my freedom". He gave me an MP3 player. Once in 13 years, I went out with another girlfriend for a day at the mall. ONCE. I paid for that for 2 weeks...my phone was "lost". I was questioned about everything I did, even a simple walk with my kids around the block. So, I am very thankful that I can now live my life instead of just letting it pass by.
My ability to drive a car!! I was once a mom to 2 children and I didn't know how to drive. Every grocery store trip, doctor visit, and emergency room visit was with the father of my kids or his family, never a friend, I had to have a watcher. I got my first license at the age of 31, after my divorce. I actually hate driving, but I am thankful for it all the same.
My job. Just look at today's economy and you know having a job is a BIG deal, so to have a job like mine, which I do from HOME? This is like a dream come true and for that, I am thankful.
My hearing. Not only does this allow me to hear my doctors at work, it also allows me to listen to my children's laughter, music that breaks a bad mood, my husband say the words "I love you", and nature which is music all its own.
My sight. Again, makes my job easier, although I do know a blind MT, but it is not just that. It is also the smile on my kids' faces, a perfect sunset with a purple sky, a 65 pound dog chasing her tail, the look in my husband's eyes when I catch him looking at me from across a room, and the sunlight in the morning telling me I have another day to live.
My home. It is too small for us all, but it is warm, it holds my family, we have heat and air, and we have a roof for shelter. That is all I need. (although another bathroom and a new bedroom would be a dream).
The nightly question of "whats for dinner". This means the kids know we will eat. I will never hear the words "when will our next meal be". Our family is well-fed.
The internet. Someone like me who has trouble in crowds can be the person they want to be just by logging on. I get to be around people in my own way without the panic attacks that crowds bring.
Our health. All three of our kids have perfect attendance this year, or oldest has had perfect attendance since preschool. We catch colds, viruses, and flues, but never bad enough to hinder our lives.
My children. As stressful and frustrating as parenting is...I wouldn't trade my kids for the world. They are all just simply amazing and I love them more than anything in this world. A bad day can be cured simply with an unexpected hug from my 13-year-old old, a comedy routine from my 10-year-old, or hearing my 9-year-old singing in the next room. Simple things make me smile when it comes to those kids. They are my greatest treasures.
My husband...This man has been in my life for so many years, first as a friend and now as my partner in life. The man is amazing. We couldn't be more opposite but at the same time, he is perfect for me. He was there for me when I needed support and guidance, he taught me to drive, he held me when I cried, made me laugh when I felt like the world was crumbling around me, and he proposed to me and made me his forever girl. He also gave me the greatest gift any man can give a woman, he gave me a daughter who is not of my blood but grew in my heart. Every day I am thankful for him. It is because of him that I have come so far in life. He has made me stronger and happier than I have ever been in my life.
So, on this first day of the year, you know what I am most thankful for. Yes I wish I had more money, a bigger house, more clothes, less debt, a Sonic Route 44 Diet Coke every day..... but I am thankful for what I do have and I do not dwell on what I don't have. My life is my own and the people in it are just amazing. The good outweighs the bad by tons and tons...If the world ended today I would be okay because I have lived a life in the past 4 years that I would have never expected on that Christmas that I asked for my freedom and it was denied. My life is mine to live now. I am no longer a spectator, I am the star player and my family is my team. I don't know about your family, but mine is pretty competitive...I think we are going to kick life's ass.
Think of the good things in your life as you drift to sleep, you can thank me for the smiles and happy heart it brings later :)
Sharon ♥
I have never been at another friends' home for a party without someone with me. This was a first for m, and because this was something that would never have happened in my past marriage...I want to post a blog about what I am thankful for....Simply because those hours at my friends' party made me realize how far I have come.
My freedom! This is a big one. I was once married to a man who asked me what I wanted for Christmas. I said "my freedom". He gave me an MP3 player. Once in 13 years, I went out with another girlfriend for a day at the mall. ONCE. I paid for that for 2 weeks...my phone was "lost". I was questioned about everything I did, even a simple walk with my kids around the block. So, I am very thankful that I can now live my life instead of just letting it pass by.
My ability to drive a car!! I was once a mom to 2 children and I didn't know how to drive. Every grocery store trip, doctor visit, and emergency room visit was with the father of my kids or his family, never a friend, I had to have a watcher. I got my first license at the age of 31, after my divorce. I actually hate driving, but I am thankful for it all the same.
My job. Just look at today's economy and you know having a job is a BIG deal, so to have a job like mine, which I do from HOME? This is like a dream come true and for that, I am thankful.
My hearing. Not only does this allow me to hear my doctors at work, it also allows me to listen to my children's laughter, music that breaks a bad mood, my husband say the words "I love you", and nature which is music all its own.
My sight. Again, makes my job easier, although I do know a blind MT, but it is not just that. It is also the smile on my kids' faces, a perfect sunset with a purple sky, a 65 pound dog chasing her tail, the look in my husband's eyes when I catch him looking at me from across a room, and the sunlight in the morning telling me I have another day to live.
My home. It is too small for us all, but it is warm, it holds my family, we have heat and air, and we have a roof for shelter. That is all I need. (although another bathroom and a new bedroom would be a dream).
The nightly question of "whats for dinner". This means the kids know we will eat. I will never hear the words "when will our next meal be". Our family is well-fed.
The internet. Someone like me who has trouble in crowds can be the person they want to be just by logging on. I get to be around people in my own way without the panic attacks that crowds bring.
Our health. All three of our kids have perfect attendance this year, or oldest has had perfect attendance since preschool. We catch colds, viruses, and flues, but never bad enough to hinder our lives.
My children. As stressful and frustrating as parenting is...I wouldn't trade my kids for the world. They are all just simply amazing and I love them more than anything in this world. A bad day can be cured simply with an unexpected hug from my 13-year-old old, a comedy routine from my 10-year-old, or hearing my 9-year-old singing in the next room. Simple things make me smile when it comes to those kids. They are my greatest treasures.
My husband...This man has been in my life for so many years, first as a friend and now as my partner in life. The man is amazing. We couldn't be more opposite but at the same time, he is perfect for me. He was there for me when I needed support and guidance, he taught me to drive, he held me when I cried, made me laugh when I felt like the world was crumbling around me, and he proposed to me and made me his forever girl. He also gave me the greatest gift any man can give a woman, he gave me a daughter who is not of my blood but grew in my heart. Every day I am thankful for him. It is because of him that I have come so far in life. He has made me stronger and happier than I have ever been in my life.
So, on this first day of the year, you know what I am most thankful for. Yes I wish I had more money, a bigger house, more clothes, less debt, a Sonic Route 44 Diet Coke every day..... but I am thankful for what I do have and I do not dwell on what I don't have. My life is my own and the people in it are just amazing. The good outweighs the bad by tons and tons...If the world ended today I would be okay because I have lived a life in the past 4 years that I would have never expected on that Christmas that I asked for my freedom and it was denied. My life is mine to live now. I am no longer a spectator, I am the star player and my family is my team. I don't know about your family, but mine is pretty competitive...I think we are going to kick life's ass.
Think of the good things in your life as you drift to sleep, you can thank me for the smiles and happy heart it brings later :)
Sharon ♥
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