Help: Calling any MDS nurses

I can only tell you what I do at my hospital - I don't know if this happens everywhere or not. I make sure that the MDS assessments are completed by all team members. I keep track of when the Quarter/Annual etc assessement are due and tell the people completeing them when to do them. I sumbit the completed form to CIHI (Canadian Information Health Institute) each quarter. When the info comes back from CIHI, I review it and share various parts with managers, directors, etc. I also teach new people how to complete the forms and check the forms for accuracy.
I've only been doing the job since Jan but am enjoying it. I say go for it! Esp if they will send you for training.

I am a DON in a LTC facility. I have been working with MDS's for about 10 years. Some facilities have the floor nurses fill out most of the nursing portion but, i am used to just the MDS coordinator completing it. You need to gather all pertinent info for the resident (ADL's, Bowel& Bladder, Diseases, Pain, Skin, Oral, Meds, Restorative, MD visits, ets) depending on the time frame for each section. This needs to be entered onto the MDS form. Then if it is an admission, annual, or sig change MDS you need to write a RAP which is basically a summary of what affects them in each category and what the plan is to take care of it. Then comes the care plan. Right now CMS is busy updating quite a few of their "Guidelines to Surveyors" so some past ways of gathering information will have to be beefed up or changed to meet the regs. In my last facility I had an LPN in that position, she did a wonderful job, I just needed to sign off that it was completed. My current coordinator is an RN and I review all MDS she completes before they are submitted. It never hurts to be careful. Good luck with your interview. MDS Coordinators either love or hate their job. But, they are the moneymaker for any facility.

I would love to hear if you get the job! Maybe we can exchange emails and compare jobs. I would be interested to see how the USA and Canada compare. Because in Canada, the MDS isn't the money maker it is in the US.

hello. i have been doing mds's for 15 years. i love this job. i think i am very good at finding information, i have good attention to the details, am familiar with my residents and their families. the mds is the "money-maker" for our facility. we spend endless hours re-educating the floor staff with our computer system, so they can capture behaviors, bowel and bladder habits, adl's, eating trends, etc. there are many factors that influence the information in any mds. if a resident is getting therapy, if they are skilled, or on part b therapy, do they have restorative programs (minimum of 2 with part b's), did they have enough days and minutes in therapy, dr. visits and orders are another factor. find someone with an mds book, just to look through. familiarize yourself with some aspects of the process. i have around 60 residents i do mds's on every quarter. i stay very busy. i also meet with families during care conferences, write care plans, make the care conference schedule, it is in 6 week intervals. we make changes to the schedule as they occur, with new admissions, discharges, out to hospital and their return, etc. my schedule is usually a visual nightmare, but as long as i know what is going on with it, i am good. hope some of this helps, and doesn't scare you away from the job. like i read in another post, you either love it, or hate it. i am one of the lucky ones that loves my job!! good luck!