A community of 30,000 US Transcriptionist serving Medical Transcription Industry

I cannot stay motivated anymore - this job is so boring...sm

Posted: Dec 29, 2013

How do you all stay motivated? I've become so bored with my job that I cannot stay focused enough to even sit here for an hour to work. I'm just one hour into my shift and here I am on this site reading and posting, going on Google, wanting to turn the TV on, wanting to go to sleep, bored, actually beyond bored and just generally hating this job. I think a big part of it is that I am in school and have just one year left to finish my bachelor's degree that I'm so focused on that and what my next career move will be that I have lost ALL ambitation to sit here and edit report after report after report. I don't know how I can keep myself on track anymore. I know I need to stay off the net, keep the TV off, focus, and what else can I do? What do all of you do? I'm so bored with this job I feel like my brain is turning into a big pile of mush.

Miracle cure - Nem

[ In Reply To ..]
I was hoping someone could answer that too. It used to be simple to sit here and type, but this last year..no motivation at all, just doing barely minimum. Hopefully someone has some suggestions.

Also Bored - NY MT

[ In Reply To ..]
Totally agree! I allow myself a mental break a couple of times during my shift, but only for less than 1 minute each time. Difficult to stay on track with the voice recognition for 8 hours of this, yes very boring. The only thing that keeps me motivated is that this is my primary job and I don't work part time. I pay my bills according to what I produce, so try to stay focused.

Our hearts are no longer in it (sm) - Nancy

[ In Reply To ..]
With wages slashed to one third what we made 30 years ago, no holiday pay, no shift differential, zero job security and zero respect, how can we be motivated? I can only do it because I am pretty much left alone, only occasionally being blamed for doctor errors. I actually find editing less boring than transcription because it takes longer to finish the report transcribing. I quit proofreading because I'm not willing to work for less than minimum wage. That nearly doubled my still very low salary and my accuracy is over 99%. They get more than what they pay for. I just look for ways to to streamline the process to get through it as quickly as possible.

There are a few positives: Flexible schedule, no commute, more variety than working as an IC doing the same docs every day, ability to work from home in anything I want to wear.

Boredom: Get a new pen, put a flower or plant on your desk. Choose a nice wallpaper and minimize your work screen so you can have a pretty flower border or something. Play CDs or have a radio talk show on. Sometimes it helps distract you from the boredom. See if you can break the shift up into sections, doing something else on your breaks. Hang a photo of a loved one you can look at. I know that isn't much but those are things I've used for burnout over the years.

Short-timers Attitude - DianaV

[ In Reply To ..]
Depending on how long you have been an MT, you might know this is very normal, part of a cycle. The good news is that you are only a year away from something much more challenging.

What I suggest is making several short-term goals - like challenging yourself to edit 20 reports by noon or even more short-term editing 5 reports an hour. If you make it a game, you can also set your own rewards. IF I get 20 reports done by noon, THEN I can go outside and get some fresh air for 10 minutes.

Another thought pattern that helps me is looking at each report as a mystery to be solved. First you hear the details of the event (HPI), then you get the facts of the case (exams), and then the doctor gives his conclusions (impression) and finally tells us what he is going to do about it. Since I've been at this job for years, I usually have my own impression and plan in my head before I see what the doc thinks, and I like to see how much I guessed right.

Not sure what my thought process is and...SM - Old Anon

[ In Reply To ..]
I have been doing this for 40 years and also get bored. I pretty much put my nose to the grindstone and just keep on transcribing and do any web surfing on my 1 break and my meal break. When I'm tempted to stray, I think about not being able to pay my mortgage, buy heating oil, buy food, pay my telephone bill, etc. That pretty much keeps me on track. Tell youself it's just a job, albeit mind numbing most of the time; but you have an end in sight. Mine is my hospital pension in 1-1/2 years plus my SS, and I can start working part time. Having something to look forward to really helps.

Agree - Keep your eyes on the prize SM - SM

[ In Reply To ..]
I know I couldn't focus on this God-forsaken job, either, if I couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel.

While you're doing all this thankless, boring work, instead of thinking about Google, wanting to sleep, eat, whatever- think about where you'll be a year from now.

When you'll finally be able to give this biz the finger (you know which one) - and keep looking at the picture of that loved one, as the poster suggested - to keep reminding yourself WHY you are making these sacrifices for the time being.

Download and use this free and handy item (or use an actual one). - WhatIDo

[ In Reply To ..]
http://www.timeleft.info/

I set mine up to count down in two-hour increments. When the sound goes off, I take a short break. It really helps! During the count down, I cannot do anything but focus on work. It sits in the bottom corner of my screen. You can customize yours however you like.

Also, I've been working outside the home, too, and that helps me get my rear in gear at home because in an outside environment, there's no reading Huffington Post, playing Solitaire, checking Facebook, etc. It helps me refocus in a way. I try to keep in my mind that this is a job and people are relying on my service, whether I'm sitting in their office or in my home office.

I use motivational thought techniques: I remember back to when I was an in-house "word processor" for a major insurance company and spent my day basically transcribing letters. Those days were often similar to now, and I often struggled through them. The difference was the fact that my boss sat 10 feet away. Do I actually need the physical presence of a boss to stay self-disciplined? No! I can do this!

Another thing I do is track how much I accomplished during the two-hour increments and then challenge myself during the next time block to exceed what I just did. Basically, I set small goals for myself.

Finally, I found some "focus and accomplish" music on YouTube. Some of the music available is 1 hour, some are 2 hours. They're mostly instrumental, but they're supposed to help a person focus and get the task done. I have saved a few of those, and when I'm really struggling, I choose one and play it very softly in the background, so that it doesn't interfere with the dictation but is still audible. I actually enjoy it from time to time.

I've really struggled at times, so I tried to find methods to regain focus and self-motivation. Anyway, these ideas may not work for others, but they're helpful for me.

I take multiple mini-breaks throughout the day and - play with my cat, etc.

[ In Reply To ..]
Also try to do some simple cooking for meals. I always have soft music on in the background.

The first couple hours or so I'm fine, and then the fatigue starts to set in. :p You just have to get up and walk around and do something to get the blood flowing after all that sitting. I have a stepper and force myself to get on that a few times a day, for a couple minutes at a time.

Glad to hear other people have this problem.. was beginning to think I have ADD. hah So hard to concentrate hour after hour. :p

I have always had trouble staying on task....sm - LoveMT

[ In Reply To ..]
I have been doing this for 17 years, and I really think I have ADHD because I can flit from one thing to the next without finishing ANY one of the things I have started. :)

However, I absolute loved this career when I first started and pretty much right up until about 2 years ago when I was first introduced to VR, a nice size cut in pay, and having to adhere to a schedule (clock in, clock out). I found I was more motivated to work when I wasn't held to certain hours of the day and made to sit still during those exact hours. Call me crazy, but I'd much rather work a flexible schedule.

Earlier in my career, when I was actually making money and only having to work about 6 hours a day to get paid what I'm now working 10 hours or more to make, the flexible schedule worked best for me because I still had young children at home (4 of them to be exact!) and it allowed me a little more freedom to work my schedule around some of their activities.

Since the institution of voice recognition, editing, cuts in pay, and having to adhere to a set schedule, I'm just a horrible mess at staying motivated. I'm bored out of my mind every single minute of every single day that I have to work and I absolutely HATE and DREAD having to work (a lot of that has to do with WHO I work for). Nonetheless, I MAKE myself sit for my "scheduled shift", and I chose a late afternoon/evening/night shift because I am NOT a morning person and never have been. I simply cannot function normally until at least NOON, and then that's sometimes too early for me, LOL.

The one and only thing that is keeping on task and working through my "set schedule" every day is that I won't be doing this for much longer. I just keep counting down the days until I can say I QUIT!!! I do whatever report/job that comes up next and move onto the next one as soon as that one is done. Instead of taking two 15 minute breaks and a 30-minute meal break, I take a 1 hour break smack dab in the middle of my shift all at one time.

I really wish I could offer up more advice on how to stay motivated, but in the last 2 to 3 years, I have lost all the love I once had for medical transcription and the industry. It's truly sad because I once really enjoyed this job so much that I didn't have to "keep redirecting" myself to stay on task. When something actually interests me, it tends to hold my attention a lot longer than something that I find boring beyond belief.

I just keep saying to myself "soon, you won't have to do this at all, very soon, very soon.." :)

Similar Messages:

Sep 15, 2014

What do you do to stay motivated and keep your butt in the chair for 8 hours straight? I've been doing this for 14 years and am struggling with this still! KA ...

Dec 19, 2011

Anybody got any tricks for helping yourself get motivated. Just curious. I'm pooped and feel like I have to left hands this morning. ...

Jan 17, 2011

Anybody else having trouble staying motivated? Don't get me wrong, I am happy to have a job; but I am just tired of the cut in benefits. Wouldn't it be nice to get a raise for once? Maybe it is time to go back to school and do something else. ...

Nov 28, 2010

Hi, I was wondering for those of you who work at home, what type of methods do you you use to stay focused at home, ie. environment, lighting, and so forth? I like working at home but there are days when I'm easily distracted by the littlest thing and it slows down my line count or I need a break for my eyes to get away from looking at words on the computer screen. ...

Feb 04, 2010

Stay away from this place. They have no technical support and terrible communication. I tried to work with them for 3 weeks and was never able to work without problems. The owner told unemployment that my issues were normal technical issues, resulting in my benefits being suspended. I also spent money on software and upgraded my ISP and she's saying I didn't give enough effort! It's been my past experience that when I start with a new company platform that after a few days ...

Aug 23, 2010

As much as I hate it here, I feel like I am trapped here. I am getting ready for major surgery and need the insurance. I can't afford to go to another co. and wait for insurance to kick in, plus "pre-existing condition" worries. I could just sit and cry when I start work. NJA and helper pools for hours, plus I don't feel well. Flame me if you want (usually someone does), tell me how lucky I am to have a job with insurance. I really am beyond caring. Okay, just my private pity p ...

Sep 08, 2010

like many of you, Ive been with MQ for a while, pushing 10 yrs, and like most of you, have gotten spooked by the changes of late. Mostly the NJA and now the all ME work, which I can finally see, can really be not too much of a big deal. have the chance to either change my status, adding hrs and gaining some PTO, or making a total change and going to another, much smaller company. Similar MT rate, less for ASR there, no PTO for P/T. feel afraid to make a move either way...is MQ stil ...

Dec 27, 2012

I understand all the difficulties involved in trying to get into another line of work but why do so many of you stay month after month when you have no work? It's not going to get any better. I have had work but the work is so terrible that I suspect they won't put a lot of MTs on it because they can't handle it. I've been doing this over 40 years and the work makes me want to cry much of the time. I'm only part-time and think if I had to do this full-time I woul ...

Feb 13, 2013

So, the long and short of it. I have been an IC for the last 15 years. I have typed for orthopods, general practioners, neurologists, dermatologists, and have done 2 years of acute care (both in-house and at home). After transplanting to TX and losing my full-time job in MI, I've been searching for that "perfect" transcription job. I love being an MT .... love the work, the flexibility, etc ... and have been told on many occasion that I am good at what I do ...

Mar 23, 2014

Having a hard time deciding whether I should continue working for MM until they go under and have to lay off everyone and I could collect unemployment or if I should just leave, thereby leaving behind all the stress and frustration that I feel daily. I do not necessarily need the $, but it does help pay some bills. If I stay, I would have to do some training for Fluency and switch to VR from straight transcription. I know my pay will be cut drastically with this change. I'm not sure I ...

Nov 10, 2009

I am curious what the thoughts are about this. Will is be mandatory in a few years that all doctors offices go to EMR? Will this be the end of the medical transcriptionist or is there something we can do now to prepare for the change and still be in this field? ...

Dec 04, 2009

I have done this type of work for a long time. The last couple of years I have a terrible time staying focused on my work and not emailing, texting, surfing the web, etc. I need the money really badly! What is wrong with me? I am not destitute yet - I keep asking myself if that is what has to happen before I can get serious and do my job. I should be able to do 2000 lines a day but instead I am doing 950 to 1000. I am literally sick over it and worry about i ...

Jun 10, 2010

They can't even figure out when someone has left their employ. I get an email saying why aren't you working this is an ongoing problem with you we are going to disable your ID Well go ahead because I gave my 2 weeks notice 6 weeks ago!! ...

Jun 15, 2011

So, from what I understand, to stay employed at TTS, you basically have to just work and agree with mgmt at all times? Never question them on anything? Is that the only thing they are concerned about??!! No one has ever mentioned how they feel about production met or not, etc. Not that meeting production would be a problem for me, but if they don't care about that, it makes me wonder what kind of company they are running if all they care about is being right and not being questioned ...

Feb 22, 2011

As soon as I start playing the audio, I can't concentrate and I start falling asleep at my desk. I literally have to get up every 15 minutes to keep from snoozing at my desk. Proofing my work is a hassle because, again, audio starts and I'm falling asleep. It doesn't seem to matter how much sleep I get, how much coffee I'm drinking, protien I'm eating, or vitamins I'm taking....nothing helps! It's getting so bad that my production is seriously slowing dow ...

Oct 03, 2011

I was just fired from Advantec, working on an oncology account because they told me that they did not have time to train me on account specifics for the 25 doctors, each with a different template, and because I got 2 experimental drug names incorrect. I was on 100% review and if I did not understand a word I left a blank and went from there. I am very upset about this. I have been a transcriptionist for 10 years and I am very upset about this. ...

Nov 07, 2011

Everyone's best bet if you see something posted by ScribeRight to stay away. They are unorganized and what they say and do are two different things. Would not recommend them. ...

Dec 16, 2011

I went through an 8-hour unpaid training for them and decided the next day they were not a good fit. Their platform is cumbersome and you have to have about 6 windows open just to work on one job and the management is poorly run, IT not always available. Be warned!!!! ...

Jan 07, 2012

I was just reading the BOS3, which (unfortunately, as it DECIMATES the rules of proper English) more and more employers are adhering to these days. VERY disturbing. They want only ONE (oh, excuse me -- 1) space after periods and other punctuation marks (colon, etc.) This will, of course, CUT YOUR LINE COUNT. They claim that this is necessary for proper uploading to the EHR, but we placed TWO spaces after a colon at the hospital where I used to work without any problem. ...

Apr 29, 2012

Dr. dictates: "Get the records from ***** Hospital about his s/l dubwee stay regarding any consults and any cultures from his spine, if available." I'm just plain stuck. Any help would be amazing. Thanx so much in advance ...

Sep 11, 2012

Stay away from Diskriter who has an ad on the Job Seeker's Board. I worked for them and it was THE worst experience of my life. It is a very big hospital they are referring to with lots and lots of facilities associated with it and lots and lots of account specifics. You need to have a certified degree as a rocket scientist to work for them. They chastise you and make you feel worthless. The QA will knock you down, and then you have to waste YOUR time to prove them wrong, which they always ...

Sep 25, 2012

TransTech. They will offer you great pay, but when you get going good and fast, they tell you to slow down!! Beware!! ...

Jan 12, 2013

Hope the system stays down and company loses millions of $$$$$ ...

May 18, 2013

I've read post after post after post, in addition to having my own experience with Nuance and I really wonder how this company as well as M*Modal stay in business. I guess even though people are quitting left and right or being fired for not having 99% accuracy, there must be more people waiting in the wings to take their places. I originally came from Transcend prior to the acquisition by Nuance and although I can't say that company was the best either, IMO, it was better than ...

Aug 20, 2013

I saw job ad for TTs and they are offering 1st shift, M-F, which I have been trying to get at Nuance. I don't care who I work for since all these companies pay the same crap wages with the same day-to-day drama. What would you do? ...

Jun 19, 2014

Seriously, the LAST thing you'll want to do is have to work closely with the management at Synernet. I had an extremely bad experience with them. I wish I could give more details, but I am bound to keep quiet (it was an agreement made). I was not an MT. Just know that for me to have to be so hush hush should be a signal to anyone considering employment with them. :) ...

Aug 22, 2014

I have graduated a year and a half ago from school, have my CPC-A and I am not having any luck finding a job. I have applied to so many jobs and I get the same answer all the time of needing at least 2 to 3 years of experience. While I am trying to be patient, I feel my skills are being lost. You HAVE to be able to code every day in order for guidelines to cement in your brain and to become aware of changes. I do practice by doing the Optum Code This! scenarios, (which I ...

Apr 04, 2015

I read the posts on these boards now and again, but never ever post here. I feel like I have to post something at this point. I came to the boards seeking current information on TTS and like a complete fool, I didn't listen. I was snowballed by the recruiter into believing the boards are a farse and it's a great and wonderful place filled with unicorns who fart rainbows (obviously I didn't really buy all of that mess, but I was falling for a good bit of it) ...

Jun 08, 2015

Here it is the beginning of the work week. Oh how I wish I would have won the lottery. I wish I could have a Monday that was not all crappy dictators. It seems like the week takes forever and my 2 days go by so fast. I remember when I actually enjoyed, maybe even loved my job. Need to be positive and push for those lines. Getting up and knowing that you have MOT from now until ? doesn't help. Trying not to believe that the new hires got prime hour ...

Jan 18, 2010

I have had 6 (SIX!) reports come through, all having the same mush-mouthed, fast talking, whispering, ESL doctor. Oh, and the sing-song thing is really about to make me blow my stack. I swear, he is so bad that I can't even understand the patient's name!!!! I am going to pull my hair out. Yep, I feel it coming. It takes me forever just to get through ONE of his reports. He gets so many blanks that I honestly feel sorry for the QA person that end ...