Now that we've all had a chance to get used to the 3.0 what do ya'll think? I hate the bulk of the whole thing and our corporation's software program is sooooo slow it's painful most days, but.. surprisingly I think I like the 3.0.
For the most part, our interviews are going fairly well. We've had several residents that I didn't think would even be able to participate with interviews do surprisingly well at at least making an attempt to follow along and answer questions (even if their answers were off the wall).
For the most part the questions themselves are more relevant and we've lost some of the "dumb" questions...I mean who really cares if someone took 14 vs 15 meds in a 7 day period.
What would you think about working for or with an agency that did nothing but catch up buildings on late MDs's, if that agency did nothing but MDS, no transmitting, no QI's, and only skeleton care plans? How would you feel about having that kind of help in your department?
Truthfully, this would be something I'd consider, at times. I may work for an agency that did this, but I don't think I'd want them coming into my building -- unless it was a dire emergency. My co-worker doesn't have much drive to continue this line of work, and often is M.I.A. in the office for many days, and will push the 14 day deadlines.
Just in the last few weeks I've noticed a significant increase in the number of MDS job openings around the Country. Corporations/Facilities need to wake up & start LISTENING to their MDS Coordinators.....or there will be none left.....[/quote']
You never know...it could be because some facilities realize the impossible work burden and are hiring MORE MDS nurses (We can only dream!)
I recently quit as MDS coordinator and thought about just traveling even to fill in for sick or vacationing MDS coordinators around our state. On our monthly MDS call before I left, I mentioned it and the response was an overwhelming "YES, PLEASE!" It is too hard to take a week off--you push some back and other MDSes forward, so basically you pay for vacation by having the weeks before and after twice as full. (I was taking work home to get everything done, or clocking off when I hit 40 hours and still working, due to the strictly enforced "no overtime policy." After many months of frustration, pulling floor shifts when nurses called in, and too little sleep/family time, I resigned and now work two 12s at a hospital.)
I think just doing the basic assessments and entry would work with skeleton care plans.
That is crazy, I bet if you give notice things will change. Hope they are paying you guys big bucks ! Impossible to keep that pace and remain in compliance with regs. Good luck !
My facility has given us enough help but the pay is way below what MDS coords are paid. I have been with same company as director of the dept for 11 years and my friend just started a new part time MDS job making exactly what Imake. Very disheartening ! Average salary in my area as 2009 was $69,00/yr. Not what I make.
I noticed that, too. In our community of about a million people, it used to be when one of us would quit our job, we did a cake walk shuffle, and all switched facilities. Keeps things fresh and new, but now positions are going unfilled long enough to make you think long and hard about walking in on a mess. I really want to work in a smaller facility, but a couple of them have been without an MDS coordinator for months, and I don't want to walk in on that. I ABSOLUTELY would not want to walk in to my own job even a week after it had been unfilled.
On another note: What would you think about working for or with an agency that did nothing but catch up buildings on late MDs's, if that agency did nothing but MDS, no transmitting, no QI's, and only skeleton care plans? How would you feel about having that kind of help in your department?
Actually, I've thought about working as a floating MDS Coordinator.
The Company I work for has floating MDS Positions.
I know that there are Companies who place MDS Coordinators in Interim MDS Positions.
I'm so sick of the Politics, Meetings, Managed Care, BS, etc., that goes on & on.
I'm going to try to make it through our Annual Survey & MDS Audit & see how things go.....
evalesco, do you have any idea who wrote the MDS "night before christmas" poem or who I can contact to track them down? I'd like to put it into a publication and attribute it to the correct author. Thanks.
Still having problems with our software (glitches and programmer errors). Still hating the sudden discharge assessments - feel like their a waste of time.
Actually, I've thought about working as a floating MDS Coordinator.
The Company I work for has floating MDS Positions.
I know that there are Companies who place MDS Coordinators in Interim MDS Positions.
I'm so sick of the Politics, Meetings, Managed Care, BS, etc., that goes on & on.
I'm going to try to make it through our Annual Survey & MDS Audit & see how things go.....
i knew a nurse who floated for the company and loved it. as a matter of fact two sisters do it now and one was a DON at one point. you have to like to travel. I know what you mean about the politics, meetings, unreal expectations and all the excuses you get for others not having their parts done.
the only thing i didn't like when they came was they only did their part. if the others weren't in, they were left that way. i don't like doing RAPs or CAAs for someone else's assessment. they didn't do the care plans either, so sometimes trying to figure out what to put to longer than it was worth, but good at the end of month crunch.
Susan, i did just that and would NOT recommend it. I went from a 120 bed facility with one other full time MDS person, to a 78 bed unit that averages around 66 with a part-time, now full time MDS coordinator. The building had no one in the MDS pps position for many months. Different nurses, floats, DON even the administrator (an RN) did some assessments, but the paperwork was just thrown around. some of the assessments weren't marked as accepted. i got two half days training to start while the trainer was on her cell phone to other coordinators more than 50% of the time. when i complained i received a day and a half from another person.
I would have been better off where i was, where i knew how to do things, where the administrator supported me and "got on" the other depts. for not doing their parts and where i might have been behind, but it wasn't the kaos i walked into. the communication here is terrible, not knowing when admissions are coming or what their payor source is, having to meet with or call the responsible party myself about discharge plans and refer them to finances or rehab instead of just all of us meeting at once. the list goes on and on. i can see why others left and why it was probably hard to fill the position. i will say that in the last 3-4 wks it has gotten better with a new interim, hopefully full-time DON with experience and know how.
Haven't been on in a while ... I too have been very busy trying to figure things out. I own a company and we contract nurses into nursing homes to do MDS' and it's been quite the challenge. Speaking on behalf of 70 nurses, we all hate the 3.0. The interview timing is a big problem, especially w the favorable weather we've been having lately. The discharges are a nightmare, we leave those for dead last unless we have to do it because someone needs an entry. The CAA's are ridiculous and I wasn't too worried about them until the Federal Surveyors just cited a competitor on CAA's ... so much for giving us time to get the swing of things. Our state MDS Coordinators don't have a clue. They have been giving Q&A sessions in which we ask a question and they write it down to give to CMS (who they claim has yet to answer any). They can't answer ANYTHING. Frustrating to say the least. Throw some software vendor issues in the mix and it's enough to drive anyone insane
Oh, and I can't even get started about the waste of trees ...... grrrrr.
I so agree with you ! I recently went to a seminar on 3.0 given by ACHA and most of the questions asked could not be answered by the speakers. So, my question is how can they give a cite in MDS 3.0 when they don't even know how it's done??? Go figure !
rukiddingme
209 Posts
Truthfully, this would be something I'd consider, at times. I may work for an agency that did this, but I don't think I'd want them coming into my building -- unless it was a dire emergency. My co-worker doesn't have much drive to continue this line of work, and often is M.I.A. in the office for many days, and will push the 14 day deadlines.