[FrazzledRN]

Hi! Just wondering how many MDS staff everyone has.....just getting an idea if we the norm....We have a 120 bed facility (SNF) and are running about 28-29 Medicare. We have 2 full time RN's in the MDS dept at present. But are constantly being pulled to pass meds or cover report off's or do admissions, etc. The administrator said we are the "safety net" with staffing and pull us often. We have only 2 full time RN's for the floors and 1 prn RN. Hiring RN's has been difficult. I just feel completely overwhelmed with all that we have to do and we are getting very behind in our MDS work. I am just curious if this is the norm. I have been doing this for 5 years and spent the previous 5 doing Charge nurse on the units. I had no idea how little respect the MDS work is given in our facility. We are supposed to maintain a high casemix and accurate and timely MDS's and careplans at the same time as covering the floors. I work 60 hours and get paid for 40. I am just curious as to everyone else's staffing. Thanks!!

[CapeCodMermaid]

Mine is a 142 bed facility and we run a Medicare census of 25-29. We have one full time MDS nurse who just does the Medicare (PPS) MDS's, and one part time (24hrs) nurse who oversees the process for the rest of the house which includes Medicaid, Private Pay, and Managed Care patients. NEVER are they pulled to work the floor. They flat out refuse....frankly they think their work is more important than anyone else's but that's another whole story.
If we have a nurse call out, then the unit manager or charge nurse has to do the med pass....then the supervisor, then the ADNS (that's me, and Lordy do I HATE to hand out meds!)...the unit managers are expected to do the MDS's for anyone who isn't Medicare.

[BobL]

It sounds like you have enough MDS staffing if they would allow you to stick to just that. I was an MDS Coordinator for 9 years in facilities from 60 to 250 beds. At the 250 bed facility, there were 3 of us to cover the building for MDS. Our medicare census was anywhere from 15 to 30 depending on the casemix. At the time, we had a fair amount of managed care patients on the subacute units. We however, did not have unit managers completing MDS. We completed all of the nursing secitons of all MDS's. The only time we had floor duty was during our on call rotation on the weekend.
In order to ge the job done adequately, I would say that you need the two of you working at it full time, especially with your medicare census. Often, the Administrator and the DON aren't in touch with how many assessments need to be completed and how long they take for Medicare residents. Other variables are involved here too. Do you do your own computer input? Also, the time needed to attended Care Plan Meetings and to organize the schedule.
Good luck to you. It is a difficult position.

[upriverRN]

A census that ranges from 100-110. 28 of those beds are skilled medicare. We have 4 1/2 RNs for MDS of which 2 1/2 RNs work with the SNF/ICF half of the building and 2 RNs for the all-ICF half of the building. MDS nurses only fill in the nursing section of the MDS. Each (4 of them) manage the care of 1/4 of the residents and supervise floor nurses. The Assistant DNS helps when MDS falls behind. MDS nurses rotate as on-call managers on weekends (mostly to answer questions and staff for call-ins over the phone) They fill in on the floor as a last result. (Approx. 1-2 shifts a month when agency not available) The building is staffed with 4 licensed nurses and 2 CMAs on days, 3 1/2 licensed nurses with 2 CMAs on PMs and 2 licensed nurses (and 1 CMA for 2 hours) on NOCs. The floor nurse pool includes 3 RNs. We have a total of 9 1/2 RNs employed. We admit mainly medicare and medicaid residents and have about 3-4 private pay beds at any one time. We have deficiency-free surveys and profits have been enough to enable this facility to remodel the building.

[alintanurse]

The facility I worked in had 2 mds nurses,we had 128 beds. The mds nurses did not work the floor at all (although they did talk one into accepting a per diem floor position.) They seemed to have more than enough time to handle their responsibilities.

[robin_mds_nurse]

Our facility has 128 beds. 38 SNF & 90 ICF. We have 2 MDS coordinators. Myself ( I am an LPN), and a RN. We split the building in half. We each have 1 SNF hall, and 2 ICF halls. We do everything on admissions, plus the MDS, careplans, & raps. Rarely do we get pulled. I have only worked on the floor once in the last year. Our company does not allow anyone except those who have been through their certification class to fill out the mds. All disclipines went through it. I am glad that I get paid by the hour. Most weeks I work 50-60 hours. ~Robin

[CapeCodMermaid]

Originally Posted by robin_mds_nurse

Our facility has 128 beds. 38 SNF & 90 ICF. We have 2 MDS coordinators. Myself ( I am an LPN), and a RN. We split the building in half. We each have 1 SNF hall, and 2 ICF halls. We do everything on admissions, plus the MDS, careplans, & raps. Rarely do we get pulled. I have only worked on the floor once in the last year. Our company does not allow anyone except those who have been through their certification class to fill out the mds. All disclipines went through it. I am glad that I get paid by the hour. Most weeks I work 50-60 hours. ~Robin

Robin,
Do you mind telling what company you work for? My company started the same thing...we all had to take a test before we could do MDS's...it was SO hard (I used to be the MDS coordintor...not sure how the staff nurses would know all that RUG stuff)...but it seems that rule has gone by the board and now everyone is back to doing MDS's....hmmmm....sounded like a good idea at the time.

[AlixCoastRN]

We run about 45 to 55 total residents, of this about 15 to 25 are 'skilled' - I am the RCM (MDS nurse) for the skilled residents and am full time salaried . There is also a 30 - hour/week nurse that does all the ICF folks. THe DNS steps in to help a lot - especially when I get 3 or 4 admits in a day. The skilled folks are all over the building. Each department inputs their own data - activities does 'N', dietary does 'K' etc. I try not to work more than 45 hours a week - Im not married to the job and manage to get everything done. I work so I can live, not the other way around. Have to have time to go to the beach after work!

[robin_mds_nurse]

Originally Posted by CapeCodMermaid

Robin,
Do you mind telling what company you work for? My company started the same thing...we all had to take a test before we could do MDS's...it was SO hard (I used to be the MDS coordintor...not sure how the staff nurses would know all that RUG stuff)...but it seems that rule has gone by the board and now everyone is back to doing MDS's....hmmmm....sounded like a good idea at the time.

I work for Kindred Healthcare. Yes, the test was intense. We went for 2 days. The first day we covered the RAI manual page by page! The second day was the test. I am glad they did it, to make sure everyone is doing the mds correctly. I was named MDS champion along with 2 others in our district which covers the state of Tennesee. This means I am a resource person for the other centers to contact with questions or problems. I also travel to other facilities in our district to help out when they are in need of a MDS coordinator, or to train new MDS coordinators.~Robin

[donmomofnine]

We have one full time MDS nurse. She does only MDS and only works forty hours a week. She has a part timer working with her who does twenty hours a week, again ~ only MDS. We have ninety beds with around eight to ten PPS at any given time.

I am wondering if your MDS nurses do the actual assessments? Our nursing staff does all the assessments for the MDS.

The MDS nurse is a very valuable member of the team ~ she gets us our money to care for our residents!