Finally! Someone that can type!!

This MS Research Project that I'm involved in to help me get my nursing hours in, requires the use of a computer and the ability to type because we are entering in chart data and sometimes having to type several large paragraphs when entering in MRI test results.

However, the insurance company has been bringing in nurses on disability who are either completely computer illiterate or they don't know how to type and all they use the computer at home for is to play card games or send email.

One girl who I only saw there once, but apparently showed up 2 other times on days I wasn't there, but not since actually failed typing. And while she knows where the keys are if she types 20 words per minute she's doing well!

The other girl who is there consistently on Monday, Thursday and Friday for 1/2 days is completely computer illiterate and can't type either. She types with 2 or 3 fingers, but to give her credit, she's getting better!

Today I trained someone who actually knew how to type!! Not very fast because she hasn't used a computer or typewriter in some years, but she actually types with all her fingers!!

There is something like 4,000 charts to go through, and one girl can do 1 or 2 charts in 5 hours, the other was doing 1 chart in 8 hours. I am there so often and have figured out what to look for and where (tips I've shared with the others), so I don't have to spend eons reading charts, I just flip through pages, and I can get through between 6 and 8 charts in a day. So unless they get swifter people, we'll be there for 3 years or more trying to enter in all of those charts.

If the slow ones would chat online that would improve their typing speed.

I was under the impression that computer courses (at least basics) were required for anyone working in the medical field? Maybe that's a new requirement or something that the schools around here just push for.

Originally Posted by strange_wings

If the slow ones would chat online that would improve their typing speed.

I was under the impression that computer courses (at least basics) were required for anyone working in the medical field? Maybe that's a new requirement or something that the schools around here just push for.

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Well, we aren't really "working" per se. We aren't actually getting paid for what we're doing. We still just get our disability income each month.

This MS Research program isn't mandatory. We don't have to do it. It's on a volunteer basis to give us experience in an area that is quite hard to actually get into without prior experience...Research. And in my case hours towards my nursing license renewal for next year.

So a number of these nurses won't actually be able to return to bedside nursing for whatever reason be it physical or mental, and these pilot programs that our disability insurance company is offering to us will help to open doors for those who can't return to their usual jobs and don't have the experience in other areas to work in.

But still, the jobs in research require computer knowledge and typing skills. I would have thought that they would have offered some basic computer and typing course to them prior to getting them involved in computer based areas. No one will hire someone and pay them $34 per hour to type 20 words per minute. These research projects are funded and the funds are limited. They need people who are fast, accurate and can get through the work as quickly as possible and not eat up the budget.

This woman who started today is starting with 3 hours twice weekly, so it will take me a few days to get her completely trained in the data base. She seems very keen, so she should do ok. At least she knows how to type and speed will come back with practice.

I can't imagine not being able to type. My speed is over 100 wpm and think most people who work in offices and are around my age are about the same. Our daughter spends a great deal of time on the computer playing Guild Wars and chatting so her speed isn't too bad but she doesn't use all her fingers like a "real" typist would.

She sometimes talks to me while I'm typing and tells me it really annoys her that I can talk and look at her while I'm typing something else.

^ How can she not? If you want to type at a halfway decent speed there's a reason why you need to use your fingers properly. Unless one has extra long or short fingers.

I can't imagine someone not knowing how to type in this day and age! I learned in high school and that was back in the dark ages, lol.

Lol, I almost failed typing in high school, but as someone said, online chat helped me immensely! But my husband drives me nuts.....two fingers....hunt, peck, hunt, peck....aarrrrgh!