Medical Transription: 3 Downsides of Working From Home
Medical transcriptionists often work from home, whether as an independent contractor or as an employee for a medical transcription service or healthcare facility. Often, this is seen as one of the primary reasons someone wants to become a medical transcriptionist, as the ability to work from home is seen as a wonderful thing to be able to do.Working from home isn’t always a bed of roses, however. There are things about it that are just tough to handle some days. Let’s take a look at some of the downsides to working from home.Work is Always ThereIf your office is in your home, it is sometimes hard to walk away. If you are being paid on production, it’s really easy to stay to just “do a few more lines” and find yourself looking at the clock and shocked to find that two or three hours has passed. I can remember days when I went to my desk at 7 a.m. and only stopped for bathroom breaks, to get something to drink, and to let the dog out; those were the days when I would be shocked to look at the clock and see it was 9 p.m.! Not a good way to live! It’s important that you set a start and stop time, and then honor it. If you have children, you don’t want your kids to one day say “All we saw of Mom was the back of her head as she sat at the computer.”DistractionsWhen you work at home, it’s easy to get distracted. Sometimes it’s just “that 20 minutes of a show I think I’ll watch on TV.” Other times the distractions come in the way of family and friends. Often, for people who go to an office every day, it’s hard for them to think that you’re really working if you are at home. A good example of that in my own life recently was the day I told my husband I would clean up the kitchen before he got home from work as he was planning to cook. He often comes home for lunch, and sure enough, on that day he showed up for lunch. I was working on a deadline for a book I’m doing and had not done the kitchen yet. He struggled with wondering why it wasn’t already done since I was at home. Family may call and interrupt your day with “just a quick question,” which can turn into a 30 minute phone call. Having a separate office where you can close the door or even put a sign up that says “do not disturb unless it’s an emergency” can help here. A lot of it, though, is just education. Let your calls go to voicemail and set aside time every day to check it and return calls.It’s Often LonelyWhile the internet connects us to a lot of people and things, when you work at home, you don’t have the interaction with coworkers that you have when you are in an office. It’s just that simple. Generally no one says “good morning” when you come in to work. Nobody acknowledges that you got a new haircut, or have a new outfit. Nobody is sitting next to you to ask for help if you get stuck on a word. It’s easy to isolate yourself. It can also be easy to just never go out. It’s important that you plan for this. Get involved in something outside of your house. Make it a point to actually get out of the house at least every few days, if not every day.Okay, that’s my three. What have I left out? And while you’re leaving a comment about what has been left out, don’t forget to offer your solution for it as well.
