Clinical Documentation Improvement Specialist

[jenRN83]

So I have been recently looking into Nurse Coding and came across the CDIS role, which is new to me. I have been a nurse for a little over 2 years, will complete my BSN summer of '14, and have experience in med-surg, chest pain observation, telemetry and special care. I guess my overall question is, what is involved in becoming a CDI nurse? I know there are other threads on here about CDIS but none of them have quite answered what I'm looking for. According to what I've researched and seen in job postings, coding experience is typically required. So is it best to become CPC certified first and attempt to find a coding job? Will there be a pay cut with that? What is the best coding certification to obtain as a nurse for this position? From what I've been reading, in order to gain coding experience to become a CDI nurse, you have to go backward in pay scale before moving forward, which I do not love the idea of. I understand CDIS might be a ways down the road for me once I have more experience, but I am trying to figure out where to start from and any information/advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

[sbleggs]

It's not necessary to be a certified coder but it does help to understand coding very well. Some CDS come from the floor, others have case management or utilization management experience.

Check out the Association for Clinical Documentation Improvement Specialist http://www.acdis.com they offer the Certified Clinical Documentation Specialist credential. There you should find a ton of info regarding the ins and outs of the role.

Also check out the American Health Information Management Association or AHIMA they also certify CDS.

[jenRN83]

Ok great, thanks!