How many MDS nurses where you work

When I had a caseload of 80, it was hard to go everything adequately. It helped that each dept entered their own sections of the MDS and social services sent the invites for care plan meetings. Would have been nice to have at least part time help with Medicaid, regular Residents MDs etc.

I have been a MDS nurse for 11 years & since MDS 3.0 it's been a challenge. We have a census of 154 residents/ capacity-165. We have 3 MDS- Casemanager nurses, 2 ADONs & our DON. MDS split the building & we do OBRA, PPS, careplans, restorative program, all risk assessments quarterly/sig.change, careplan all falls, sig. wgt changes, new orders,,,etc. Our IDT team do their own sections, notes & update their c/p, SSD-sections b,c,d,e & q. Activity-section F & Dietary-section K. Our ADONs do all new admits with the immediate initial interim & CNA c/p. MDS & IDT do the 48hr goal careplan.

We have 72 beds between TCU and LTC. I do LTC and work .06. The main MDS coordinator works full time and does TCU and all the scheduling. I am in charge of restorative programs and I update LTC careplans. We have a DON, an ADON who is also the TCU manager, and a LTC manager. We also have a grant nurse and a staff development/infection control nurse. Activities does B and F. SW'er does A, C, D, E, Q. Dietary does K. Nursing does the rest.

You are correct to request another MDS FTE. The position is so paramount to reimbursement, quality indicators & care planning that it should have the full support of administration. It will make or break you. MDS accuracy requires time & attention to detail, residents are sicker and more complex than in decades past so prior coverage does not meet current requirements for CMS guidelines.