Getting started as MDS nurse

Helllo, my name is Karie and I'm new to this site. How incredibly thrilled i am to see some discussion about MDS Nurses. I am an LPN at a LTC facility in VT with 43 level one and 2 residents. I started as the MDS Coordinator one year ago and i absolutley LOVE IT. I know am involved with the care with every resident in the facility. It's challenging and very rewarding and forces you to draw on all available knowledge. I suggest you ask to take a copy of your MDS nurses "bible" MDS/RAI book home and start reading. BEST of luck to you!

thanks for the welcome. I am reading up on MDS and I wll learn this no matter what scary messages I have received from others. There are two other coordinators whom will help and plenty of research. Let's learn together

Hey welcome. I am also new to this site am was overjoyed to read your message about your love for mds coordinator position. I have received alot of scary messages regarding this new position I just obtained but I will learn this and I know there is plenty of help out there I will call them today for an mds rai book thanks for the advicee any more is gladly welcome
glad to meet you

Hi, I am also new to mds. I graduated yesterday from Excelsior college in ny. So I will be taking state boards soon for my rn license. I just recently(2 weeks ago) started in an mds position. I have worked at this ltc facility for 9 years as an lpn. Our previous mds nurse was a lpn i that position for 9 years. She just moved. But they were actually looking for an rn this time. I really enjoy my new role, but it sure is a lot to learn. I have a don that has the experience and is training me. I will also take the course to try to get certified next month. My facility does not offer any financial help with the courses, and it is very expensive. I do want to get certified, so I will pay for the class myself. Hopefully it will be worth it for me in the long run. I bring the book home to study but I am also studying for state boards?!!! Glad to find this sight. Thanks, Mary

Hi, Just wanted to say congratulations on your grad from Excelsior. I am working the program now. Dig in and start reading the RAI manual Look at MDS's already done(if the prior person was good). That will help with the logic part of figuring out why some one is a 3 and some one else is a 2. If you can not figure out the directions. Our state survey agency does training so I was able to go to that.

Unless "certified" immediately raises your salary, focus on the state boards for now.

You have the support of a DON who is experienced w/ MDS. Learn the basics through her. An on-the-job hands-on involvement in the MDS process is the best platform for learning, not a 3-day costly MDS seminar or an online certification course. The RAI manual practically contains most of the things you need to know. Read it and refer to it each time you're stuck w/ a scenario. Additional information can be obtained from the CMS website. A free discussion group is available that can provide you w/ answers almost instantly. It will give you the opportunity to learn from others' questions and hones your knowledge to be able to contribute what you know.

I have been doing the MDS/RAPS/CAREPLANS since the darn things started. My only advice is to keep it simple. pare your care plans down to 5 or 6, combine i.e.; ADL self performance/ Risk for falls, Continence/Skin integrity, Cognitive Function/Communication, etc... If the care plan is too long or extensive the State will pick it apart. Make sure that whatever you write in the Rap Summary documentation is on the care plan. 5 ding free surveys for me once I figured this out.

I also just accepted a positon as an MDS Nurse, but at my Facility the title I have is RNAC ( RN Assessment Cooridinator) I have quite a few responsibilities; Careplans, MDS's, all of them the 14 day, Quarterly, Comprehensive and so on. Also recerts Case management and careplan meetings for families. I have an assistant she is a LPN and her title is LPNAC. the Facility we work in is a 115 bed LTC Home. I just went to my administrator last week ad ask for a second LPNAC. The amount of work is unbelievable, I just started the job last week I think I am going to like it, the MDS is similar to the Oasis forms I had to fill out when I was a Hospice Nurse. I have a lot to learn I came to this site looking for any and all tips I can find.

Great tip, I have been looking over the careplans and they are very long and not easy to read, at this time they are writing them all by hand, I have been given the go ahead to start using our computer program to do them once I take over, the otgoing RNAC is now training me, she is moving into the DON position. I started last week and we had UMR in the facility for inspection this week, I learned a lot from the inspectors they are very eager to teach, after it was all over we ended up with a 6% error rate, which they say is not bad.

I have been an MDS Nuse/Case Manager for 14 years. I am a member of AANAC and AANEC. Taking a position as an MDS Coordinator is like going behind the wheel of a car; the MDS is the driving force for reimbursement and for a successful survey within the long term care facilities, if you don't have the proper training, you will crash. Each corporation usually will have a corporate MDS nurse she/he would be your first trainer, once you have been trained within your corporation, then I would suggest taking the certification courses that are offered through AANAC. These classes would benefit the experienced MDS nurse, but can be a bit confusing for the newbie's. Using the RAI Manual is a baby step...but one that is foundational for your work. Get on forums that write only about MDS for support.
Hope that helps,
The Nose