MDS Nurses: do the other departments respect MDS?

Welcome to my world..... they think we have the cream of the crop world. As you stated they think with us working Mon-Fri no weekends or holidays that we have it made. But I do often work a weekend in the office just to keep caught up on things, this job does have it's perks but it also has it's down falls just like any job but when I trained a nurse off my wing just to do bowel and bladder assessments she was blown away with all that is involved in doing them- it took her alot of time and researching to fill them out. I think she got her eyes awakened. But I just remind myself when they are chatting that we do nothing that I am better than that and I truely know what I do in my job!

I'm just looking into getting into MDS, but currently work as an RN Case Manager and COMPLETELY understand what you're saying. The ironic thing is that many nurses can't handle CM and the difficulties of the job. That is not to say working on a floor is easy, because it most definitely is not. If nothing else, I've come to learn all nurses should respect each other and the different areas of nursing.

A good administrator lets everyone know in no uncertain terms that the MDS coordinator is THE MOST IMPORTANT NURSE in the building. If everyone else wants to get paid appropriately, and stay in business. One company I worked with called us financial clinicians.
Everywhere I've worked, I have let everyone know how much I appreciate their charting and how important it is from a financial standpoint, from a QI standpoint and from a patient care standpoint. People may not know what we do, but they can tell if what we do is important by the way we interact with them.
Another problem is that a lot of MDS nurses are physically disabled, and I think there is a bias there, as well. It shoots up your respect level if you can change a brief with an aide once in a while, but it shoots down your respect level if you actually take a floor shift as a nurse.
Just some random thoughts, hope this is good guidance for you.
ST

Thanks ST. Wonderful response. I love "financial clinician" for a title! It can be tough for people to understand what CMs or MDS nurses do, but a financial clinician says it all. I'm excited. I just got my first MDS job and the people I've met are wonderful! I can spot this a mile away. The hospital I'm leaving gave me a not-so-good feeling from the beginning, but I wanted to get into CM so bad I took the job. I put my year in and I'm moving onto MDS. This area of nursing is so much more for me than the crazy, but VERY important floor nursing positions. Thanks for your response; very helpful!

HI Lisa I am very much interested in MDS--You mention you did a year of floor nursing--what specialty? Med-Surg? Did the company that hired you think 1 year of floor nursing was enough? Any insight would be appreciated. Did you have to take a pay cut from the hospital? Are you aorking in a LTC facility? Good Luck.

I worked in a hospital for a few years, first in med/surg, but then in the float pool and did a lot of ICU through the float pool. I then went to another hospital in the area and did a year of case management. It was there that I found I really like that area of nursing; moreso than hands on nursing. BUT, because I wanted to get into CM so bad, I went to work for someone who didn't have a very good reputation. I could sense that when I met her, but stayed for a year and thoroughly enjoyed my work, but not the boss. I never had a problem working for anyone before. It was during my experiences working with SNFs for patient placements from the hospital that I heard about MDS nursing, so it's my first time in MDS. I did have a short experience with LTC years ago. I also took an online course from www.nrai.net which I liked, but unless you get hands on experience it can be tough. Taking that course was helpful in getting this position however. It seems almost all CM and MDS jobs require experience, but because I took some online courses and showed my desire that way, I really believe it is why I've gotten the job without the actual experience. Good luck!

Financial Clinician. Love it!!!