Is a Career as a Medical Scribe in Your Future?
A medical scribe isn’t a career that everyone has heard of yet. While they work in many hospitals across the country, they don’t grab the headlines. Nevertheless, it’s a rewarding career choice and one that can also lead to future progression in the medical field for those so inclined.
Let’s learn more about the role of a medical scribe and whether it’s a job for you?
What is a Medical Scribe?
A medical scribe is present in hospitals, clinics, and other medical facilities to record how patients are being treated. With the need for proper documentation in a secure electronic record for every patient, scribes are there to record everything relevant.
For instance, the details of when a patient has first been seen and any follow-up visits are noted. The physical exams, including what was checked with the patient both verbally and physically, confirm that a proper assessment was performed. Any medical tests or pharmaceuticals ordered or administered are all recorded for future information.
Why Can’t Doctors or Nurses Perform These Actions
With the amount of information that they’re already dealing with and the volume of patients that frontline medical personnel handle on a given day, recordkeeping becomes time-consuming. Ultimately, it reduces the number of people that frontline staff can see.
Scribes are there to reduce the burden on other medical professionals by cutting back on the paperwork. It’s also a role that’s very much appreciated because it frees up their time while also protecting them from unnecessary medical litigation.
The digital records provide clarity about what exactly was performed or administered even months or years later when a legal case might arise. This proves invaluable when needing to defend against frivolous claims.
Do I have to Train to Become a Scribe?
Yes, absolutely.
It’s necessary to take orientation, classes, complete quizzes, and important coursework.
Additionally, trainee scribes will also pair up with a scribe trainer to learn from how they work, so that they can “do as they do” in the future.
It’s an involved, demanding, and interesting professional to work in. When paired with a trainer, this becomes noticeably clear because this is a patient-focused role.
Where Can I Find Job Information for Scribes?
The job of a medical scribe isn’t one that’s always widely advertised. Only certain hospitals and other medical facilities rely on them and look to recruit them.
Once qualified as a medical scribe, there are jobs in different parts of the country needing to be filled. This MN Scribe jobs page is often a good place to look for more information.
Most people who work as scribes do so for a year or two before looking to advance within the medical field through further study. Working part-time or full-time is possible, though it’s not recommended to try to work as a part-time scribe in addition to having a full-time job elsewhere. That’s too much to handle.
When looking for a detail-oriented entry into the medical profession, a medical scribe is a good one to consider.
