Frustrated w/salary and hours; help with CAAs/CPs

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Just needed to vent - it is so frustrating. I earned $11,000/year less since becoming salaried yet work far more hours than I did when hourly; plus got paid for all of those hours. The work in the MDS office seems to be never-ending, with more and more added each week. We average 150 residents plus 15 Medicare, and we are not a case mix state. There used to be 3 nurses and one clerical person (oh how I wished I had worked in that office back then). Then it went to 3 nurses and shortly after that I started in the office. One nurse left in January and they are not replacing her - if the two of us were already putting in 50 hours per week how do they think we could pick up that 40 hours worth of work?

In the past two weeks we have been given all of the psychotropic medication consents to do, the monitoring for tardive dyskinesia, making sure the monthly monitoring sheets are completed, meet with the pharmacist monthly for the dosage reduction meetings, CMS Forms 672 and 802 to maintain on a daily basis, sending/tracking the Medicare denial letters, we lost the wound care nurse so the unit managers will be assessing the wounds and giving us the info and we are supposed to complete the MDS/CAAs/Care Plans with this info, completing projection forms on each admission to see what their RUG scores may be and when to schedule their ARD based on nursing vs. therapy. In addition, we have been given multiple assessment forms that they now want completed - some with the quarterlies, many with admissions/annuals. This in addition to what we have already done which includes a day of call per week and thankfully only about every 5th weekend.

Can anyone please give me advice on how to check that the other disciplines get their CAAs and Care Plans done? I hate being a babysitter but do know that it is our responsibility to make sure they are completed and in the files.

Thanks for listening!

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Hi, Hard to believe you still have your sanity! Unfortunately, it seems like less and less staff everywhere with more and more work on those remaining. I am so frustrated that I just stick to the job, do the best I can do and work no more than 10 hours in a day. Usually, 9 1/2. I figure if it comes up that work not being done, MDS's being late, etc etc then maybe the ones above might see the system is not working the way it is set up. I figure if I just keep killing myself, stay late and do weekends to get caught up they will not recognize there is a problem and keep expecting me to do what I am doing. Management can only squeeze down on us so far before we blow out the sides!

Do the best you can do but keep yourself sane by not overworking yourself. Everyone needs a life outside of work and the time to do it.

Good luck.:)

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Specializes in Rehab.

The three of us in here were wondering what would happen if we all turned in our notices all at once, if they don't get us some help. Right now I have 33 PPS by myself, I had 85 MDSs last month. This month so far I have had 15 full admissions. I have about given up on trying to make the other disciplines do their sections. This is getting really old.

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Specializes in MDS/Office.
Just needed to vent - it is so frustrating. I earned $11,000/year less since becoming salaried yet work far more hours than I did when hourly; plus got paid for all of those hours. The work in the MDS office seems to be never-ending, with more and more added each week. We average 150 residents plus 15 Medicare, and we are not a case mix state. There used to be 3 nurses and one clerical person (oh how I wished I had worked in that office back then). Then it went to 3 nurses and shortly after that I started in the office. One nurse left in January and they are not replacing her - if the two of us were already putting in 50 hours per week how do they think we could pick up that 40 hours worth of work?

In the past two weeks we have been given all of the psychotropic medication consents to do, the monitoring for tardive dyskinesia, making sure the monthly monitoring sheets are completed, meet with the pharmacist monthly for the dosage reduction meetings, CMS Forms 672 and 802 to maintain on a daily basis, sending/tracking the Medicare denial letters, we lost the wound care nurse so the unit managers will be assessing the wounds and giving us the info and we are supposed to complete the MDS/CAAs/Care Plans with this info, completing projection forms on each admission to see what their RUG scores may be and when to schedule their ARD based on nursing vs. therapy. In addition, we have been given multiple assessment forms that they now want completed - some with the quarterlies, many with admissions/annuals. This in addition to what we have already done which includes a day of call per week and thankfully only about every 5th weekend.

Can anyone please give me advice on how to check that the other disciplines get their CAAs and Care Plans done? I hate being a babysitter but do know that it is our responsibility to make sure they are completed and in the files.

Thanks for listening!

To check the status on other disciplines CAAs/Care Planning, I e-mail the needed info since I find this is a time saver for me. Paging the other disciplines all day long takes too much of my time.

With that said, it sounds like you are Babysitting the Nursing Dept. as well as the other Disciplines...

You are being used.

MDS Coordinators are too busy to be involved in the Nursing Dept.

Why is the MDS Dept doing the Care Plans/Assessments/Pharmacy Dose-Reduction Meetings, etc...

Just who exactly, is taking care of the residents...the Nurses assigned to the residents...or the MDS Dept?

I would guess that the MDS Dept. is under the DON...Not good, not good at all...

As for taking call...There are Companies that do not allow the MDS Dept. to take call/get pulled to the floor.

You can do better...Companies are begging for good MDS Coordinators...

Send out your Resume...ASAP! :)

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