How to Become a Successful Medical Scribe

Working as a medical scribe will give you the opportunity to work in a clinical environment alongside healthcare providers.  This will give you real-world experience in a variety of specialties; experience that is hard to get elsewhere.  However, scribing isn't an easy job; it can be very demanding and it's easy to feel overwhelmed if you don't know what you're doing.  To help with this, we have provided some pointers on how to become a successful medical scribe.  Keep reading to find out more.

Understand Your Role

In order to be successful, you need to be willing to adapt to any given situation.  You will be working alongside a physician and will be required to follow their lead at all times.  This may mean quickly switching jobs in the moment.  Because of this, establishing a healthy relationship with your colleagues is vital.  Speak up and don't be afraid to ask questions if you're unsure of anything, but at the same time be aware of the boundaries.  Some providers will have better communication skills than others, but you will need to adapt.

Keep a Thick Skin

You'll need to be willing to work with a variety of personalities when you seek out medical scribe jobs.  Some healthcare providers become accustomed to working in a specific way, this especially applies to those that have been in the role for a long time, while others will appear more introverted.  No matter their personality, it's important to keep a thick skin and try to find common ground.  If you do have any issues that you can't resolve, speak to your supervisor for assistance.

Be Diligent at Charting

One of the most important things you'll do as a scribe is fill in patient charts.  Every provider will have their own preferences as to how this is done, so you'll need to review this and document accordingly.  Although your provider may appear overly critical about the charting process, it's important to recognize how important this is and that any mistakes could end up costing them their professional license.  With this in mind, a successful scribe will remain diligent and follow the provider's lead.

Communicate Effectively

Finally, it's vital to stress how important communication is in the healthcare industry.  In order for you to grow, you'll need to keep the lines of communication open and be willing to take all feedback on board.  The physicians and other staff members that you work with will also expect you to ask questions, so don't be afraid to do this.  A poor communicator is a poor medical scribe, so this skill shouldn't be underestimated.

Medical scribes and physicians work together to achieve a common goal.  So, while it may seem daunting at the beginning, the role is essential to patient care.  Keep the above advice in mind and be willing to learn and change the way you do things.  Only with co-operation and communication will you be truly successful in the field.