Admit/MDS Assistant (CNA)

[downsouthlaff, LPN]

Hi again everyone something interesting came up at my facility this week. It was posted on the board in the employee break room, it said our facility was currently seeking an Admit/MDS CNA Monday-Friday with 8-4 hours. This is a first to me I've never heard of this, and never new a CNA could advance to a position like this. I got a chance to speak with the ADON about this position and she said the position would include assisting the MDS/Admit Nurse with assessments likes getting baseline vitals, turning residents for skin assessments, getting weights, taking heights and abdominal girths, preparing new admit rooms eliciting admission packs, showing residents and families around the facility and helping file papers and running areas in the office. This sounds like a job I would love to take but the problem is that it only pays 2.50 more an hour than floor CNA, and it's a fixed Monday through Friday income and with my EMS job it would be impossible, and is this even a legal position because I have never seen this at any other facility? O and another duty would be performing safety assessment surveys on supervised surveys and giving the survey to the MDS Coordinator! Any input on this kinda position?

[DavidKarl]

The facility decides who does what, if any section of an MDS, or who partipates. The big requirement is that it being signed as completed by an RN, but an RN doesn't need to do any of the MDS. But a CNA is not licensed, so would she actually be completing part of the MDS, and signing that, with the ramifications of that? Could be. The MDS is so important for so many reasons, that it sounds like a strange position to create- why don't they call the new CNA position Team Leader, or something. I can see a wizened old surveyor singling out a ADMIT/MDS CNA for some very pointed questions...just because of that title.

[downsouthlaff, LPN]

Actually no, the CNA is not creating care plans and doing stuff that the Admit and MDS nurse would do. They are the Admit/MDS Nurses Aide. Wich means that when a new admit or resident comes in there going to get the baseline vitals, and assist with assessments , turning, standing etc., do clothing inventories, prepare the room and that's basically they function as an Aide to the MDS Nurse just as Fllor CNAs function as Aides to floor Nurses.