How to train your tools (and yourself) to write better notes without burning out

You’ve played with the tech. You’ve picked a tool. Maybe you’ve even named it. (Alexa, meet Abby the Ambient Scribe.)

But now you’re faced with an awkward truth:
Most AI-generated notes sound like a robot shadowed you during med school and copied the syllabus.

So… how do you actually get these tools to support your voice, your rhythm, and your values as a clinician?

You coach them.

And along the way, you coach yourself, too. This is why I had you start with non-clinical tools. The technology is improving fast and many apps have very intuitive user interfaces, and you need to practice new skills.  This is just the truth about human brains, I don't make the rules. 

🛠️ AI Tools Are Only as Good as Their Training

Most AI scribe tools learn by listening. They pick up on how you speak, how you structure your notes, and the rhythm of your clinical reasoning.

But they’re not mind-readers.

If you want a tool that reflects your voice, you need to be an active participant—not a passive user. That doesn’t mean more work. It means more intention.

💬 From the Field: The Moment It Clicked

When I first tried AI to help with notes, I was hopeful and also a little bit irritated. The first drafts were stiff and formulaic, like someone had recorded my brain fog and set it to "auto-format."

Then one day, I had a visit with a teenager navigating complex grief. Afterward, I tried something different. I dictated my thoughts aloud as if I were talking to a trusted colleague...not a tool. I ended with:
“What mattered most in this visit is that she felt safe enough to cry.”

The AI included that line in the draft. Just like that.

And for the first time, I read a note and thought, Yes. That’s what happened.

That’s when it clicked. This isn’t about outsourcing my voice. It’s about training the system to reflect my values. It’s about shaping a workflow that still feels like medicine, not just mechanics.

How to Coach Your AI (Without Losing Your Mind)

1. Start With a Template You Love

Whether you’re using SOAP, narrative summaries, or a clinical + human hybrid, give your AI a solid foundation. Tools can often learn from examples.

💡 Try This: Find a recent note that felt good—clear, human, true. Use it as a model.

2. Be Deliberate With Language

You don’t have to speak like a robot, but clarity helps. Use simple cues like:

• “Assessment and plan…”

• “Social context to note…”

• “Follow-up instructions include…”

This teaches your scribe to better structure the note and understand transitions.

3. Edit With Intention

Instead of deleting awkward sentences, reword them with your preferred phrasing. Many tools adapt over time based on your edits.

If your AI gives you “patient expressed dissatisfaction with…” and you prefer “Mom (or better yet the person's ACTUAL NAME) shared that she felt overwhelmed,” make that change—and keep making it.

4. Save Strong Notes as Training Material

Got a note where the AI nailed it? Save it. Use it when onboarding new tools or showing your vendor what “right” looks like for your tone and workflow.

5. Build Mini-Templates for Reuse

If you write similar notes often—med refills, follow-ups, hospice updates—use your AI tool to generate a clean draft, then edit it once and save it.

These become:

• Smart phrases

• Paragraph blocks

• Custom “quick text” you can reuse or prompt again

🧘 Coaching Yourself, Too

Coaching your AI is one thing. Coaching yourself to relate to documentation differently is another.

Ask yourself:

• What would “enough” look like in this note?

• Am I documenting like I trust myself?

• Can I bring clarity without over-explaining?

You’re not just programming a machine. You’re unlearning years of guilt, perfectionism, and fear. 

💡 This is hard to do alone. You don’t have to.

Shifting your relationship with documentation isn’t just about tools—it’s about unlearning habits, rewriting internal scripts, and showing up with more clarity and compassion.

That kind of shift takes more than willpower. It takes support.

I use a process I call Grounded Realignment Coaching—a blend of subconscious tools, coaching frameworks, positive psychology, and presence-based reflection to help clinicians break out of burnout patterns and realign with clarity and purpose—quickly.

If this work is calling to you, let’s talk.
🗓️ Book a free discovery call

✨ From Robot to Ritual

The goal isn’t to make charting magical.
The goal is to make it tolerable, truthful, and sometimes—even a little bit beautiful.

You don’t need a perfect assistant.
You just need one that helps you finish the day with your voice intact and your energy not completely drained.

Wrap Up - The Charting Cure Series 

Thanks for joining me for The Charting Cure.
Over these four parts, we’ve explored:

1. Non-clinical tools to test safely

2. How to choose a HIPAA-compliant AI tool

3. The emotional barriers that make charting hard

4. How to train your tools—and yourself—for better notes

Want to keep learning together?
👉 Join my list for upcoming workshops, bonus toolkits, and real-world reflections on navigating change in medicine.