MDS rant...

[nyteshade, BSN]

I'm a MDS nurse at my facility. Everyday, more responsibilites are placed on all the MDS nurses, but not the power to enact any of it...in other words, if floor nurse charting is lacking, then it's our fault. I have suggested PLENTY of times that we need to inservice the nurses, rethink our assessment forms, you name it, and they fall on deaf ears. I offered to inservice the staff myself, I offered to help revise our forms!!! Our facility is too scared to change anything, cause "it hasn't been a problem yet." Or, "no, the nurses might make even more mistakes"...and they aren't making them now??? Don't get me wrong, our nurses are awesome, problem is they haven't a clue what to chart, or rather what needs to be captured for the MDS. Again, just a MDS nurse ranting..:argue:

[BEDPAN76]

I hear you loud and clear! In my facility we (MDS) are encouraged to give short inservices on how to document for skilled residents. Why won't your facility allow this??

[nyteshade, BSN]

I honestly wish I could tell you...lol. My theory is too many chiefs not enough indians, and I'm just a little indian! Lol. We have A LOT of management and they all cancel themselves out. Everyone is too busy looking busy I guess. :)

[mercury7]

i agree with you! i'm still new to this whole MDS thing but i've noticed that my job is becoming more and more complex as the charting is often insufficient. i recently updated the bath sheets/skin assessment forms just so i could get more info about the patients without having to conduct so many cna interviews! im now looking into how to fix the admission form...... what i do is i make my form.. show it to a few people.. gather support then i approach the DON and say "well so and so said this would work, and im open to suggestion" even then there are things that need to bechanged and im still trying to figure out how to do it. ahhhh!!!!

[nyteshade, BSN]

I wish it was that easy for me...for now I will just continue to do my job, it's all I can do... :)