A Day in the Life of an Outpatient Scribe

Alyssa Kia Shindel shares a day in her life as a remote Outpatient Scribe:

When I went to school for my associate degree in Medical Reimbursement and Coding, I was told that there would be so many different jobs available to me. I graduated May 2021 and as I started applying for jobs, I realized that wasn’t the case. I had trouble finding jobs in

my area that didn’t require 5+ years of experience. I was giving up on ever finding

a job in the medical field until I attended and graduated from the RN program. That’s when I got the email to apply at ScribeAmerica. 

At first, I set the email to the side and discussed it with my husband. Once we did research on the company and realized that it could be a good opportunity, I took the plunge. That was almost 10 months ago. I’m newer to scribing, but I wouldn’t change my decision if given the chance. I’m working in the medical field, I’m learning so many different things by listening and documenting visits for all ages, and I am getting better at charting and becoming fluent in medical terms.

I work Monday through Thursday with two different doctors, and the best part is that I work from home. I work on my laptop, log in, connect with my doctors through Zoom, and I can do all of this from my couch or front porch! 

You might be thinking: What is a scribe? A scribe attends visits with a doctor and patient, either through Zoom or in person, and documents what happens during the patient visits. We make sure that all of the information is added to the chart and that the doctors don’t end up burnt out from having to stay late and spend additional time doing daily charting. Sometimes, especially as a remote scribe, there are times when you cannot hear what a patient says when it’s muffled or low volume, but at the end of the visit you can ask what you missed and the provider will let you know. There are also times when a patient doesn’t want us in the room, which is fine too – this just means that the doctor will chart that patient’s chart.

I am in the process of going back to school for my RN so I can become a NICU nurse. This job helps with charting, medication review and other documentation, as well as learning medical terms and positive and negative findings in a physical exam. It also gets my foot in the door to the medical field, and I can learn more about coding, as the ICD-10 codes are already applied.

Scribing has been a GREAT learning experience. Even though my dream is to be a NICU RN, I don’t want to leave my providers or patients here! There might be some days where the patients’ visits are more difficult, but at the end of the day I am happy, fulfilled, and ready to get back into it the next day.

I’ve had negative results with past jobs when it comes to mental health and how they handle it, but with ScribeAmerica, I’ve had nothing but amazing support. I can let my chief scribe know that I’m having issues with my mental health and they will sit down and talk with me about what needs to be done and, if needed, will give me time to get it back on track. If you are worried about applying due to mental health concerns, I encourage you to apply, don’t be afraid to talk to your chief scribe, and you will see how this can be one of the best decisions you can make!

Yes, you can work full time or part time. You can choose which days you are available, as long as you are able to work two days a week. You can work from home as a telescribe or you can go to clinics and work in person. You won’t regret it!