I have just recently begun working as a scribe. In the beginning, I was excited about the opportunity to work closely with physicians documenting the evaluation as well as learning the thought process of a physician as they see patients. I understand the the seen-but-do-not-be-heard aspect of this job. Yet, I have felt my physicians to be somewhat uunapproachable as I'm learning and they know I'm new. I don't feel liked and I've worked under them in a different capacity prior to this role. It feels as is there is never a good time to ask a question regarding what to do yet it is expected. And everyone wants things to be done differently, which is confusing and leaving me feeling a bit dejected at the end of my shift. I'm all for constructive criticism but even more so some degree of consistency instead of 'you'll learn what each one wants after awhile.' Advice? I sometimes feel like I should give up and move on to something else.
anyone ever worked as a scribe?
- Thread starter ThaDude
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I have been working as a scribe in the ED for almost 2 years now, and I NEVER hesitate to ask about something. Could I be annoying them at times? Sure, but they way I look at it, I am not a doctor, I have not gone to medical school (yet!!) and I am providing a service for them to document a chart to their liking. Of course there is a time to ask. I try not to interrupt them as they are in the middle of something, say admission orders or discussing a different case with someone else, but there is no way to read their minds! I have no shame. At the end of the day the physicians want their charts done correctly so I just ask. You are part of the team, it will get easier as you go along, but I have been doing this for 2000+ hours and I still have questions to ask, no two cases are exactly alike!
You cannot read the physicians minds, They want the chart to be completed correctly, if it is simply a term you are not familiar with just google it real quick before asking what you may think is "a stupid question." Have no shame, you are there to assist them, and the only way to know exactly what they would like is to ask! I would not recommend you to move on to something else, the experience you gain from being a scribe cannot be replaced. Approach every shift as a shadowing opportunity. Hang in there!! It gets better!!
You cannot read the physicians minds, They want the chart to be completed correctly, if it is simply a term you are not familiar with just google it real quick before asking what you may think is "a stupid question." Have no shame, you are there to assist them, and the only way to know exactly what they would like is to ask! I would not recommend you to move on to something else, the experience you gain from being a scribe cannot be replaced. Approach every shift as a shadowing opportunity. Hang in there!! It gets better!!
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I jist finished a second shift with the same physician and when I overheard talk to another about how things went last night, I thought great. He wanted to talk to me but we got incredibly busy. At the end of the night, I apologized for how last night went. He said tonight was a 100% improvement and with a smile told me he'd like to work with me again. I went from feeling like crap about my future here 7 hrs ago to feeling more secure and relieved 
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Yep it gets better. You already got the most important lesson from healthcare. It is always overwhelming at first. Then 3 months go by, and your like, hmm I think I can do this. And then a year goes by, and your like, wait I not only can do this, I might be good at it. A couple years later and your a pro. You will get there too, it just takes time.I jist finished a second shift with the same physician and when I overheard talk to another about how things went last night, I thought great. He wanted to talk to me but we got incredibly busy. At the end of the night, I apologized for how last night went. He said tonight was a 100% improvement and with a smile told me he'd like to work with me again. I went from feeling like crap about my future here 7 hrs ago to feeling more secure and relieved
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It was a stressful and tumultuous time when I first started scribing. I lived in fear of being fired and would not take a break for the entire shift trying to keep up. No food, no water (since that would result in ensuing bathroom breaks, which I wanted to avoid at all costs). Just ran on adrenaline... Anyway it gets way better (YOU get better).
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As a scribe for the past ~3 years and trainer my advice to new scribes has been: 'let it ride.' You are not expected to be perfect or know everything in the first few days, even first few months. Yes you are new, so it's ok if you don't know everything. I think back to my first few months and I can tell you I had no idea what I was doing or why I was doing it. Slowly you build confidence and you learn the ins and outs of the game and it even becomes fun (Protip: befriend the nursing team!!). Stick with it. Yes, you will learn the thought process, and will learn to anticipate, make connections regarding sxs, conditions, etc. Regarding all the doctors wanting different things, I would always tell new scribes to chart at the level of the most demanding doctor on the team or a composite of the most demanding doctors. You know, the ones who works the fastest, the one who does not want abbreviations used, the one who wants you to keep up with all the pt load, the one who wants results on demand, etc. If you chart at this level for all of your doctors the job becomes easier. PM, let me know if you have more questions.
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