MDS Coordinator salaries

BoomerRN · Sep 13, 2006

You had 90 skilled (as in Med A) residents and only one MDS person??? I've never heard of such a thing. That's more than 3 times the number of skilled patients any MDS person does around here.

We had 180 patients in the building. I was full-time and there were 4 part-timers who completed the rest of the MDS. I was assigned 90. You never had a moment to relax and I worked overtime a lot to get everything done. Get this, when I went part-time (3 days/wk) the DON still wanted me to do 90. I told her no way and she said do what you can and the others can do what's left. I left there after 5 mos. It was nightmare street. I'm originally from Ohio, we've been here in VA 20 years. I love it here but the pay isn't as good. As a nurse in Ohio, I recieved $2-4 more per hour.

bluidsquaw · Sep 13, 2006

i have been an LPN for 13yr.s i would like to work as a MDS Coordinator do you see this as a possibility

BoomerRN · Sep 13, 2006

i have been an LPN for 13yr.s i would like to work as a MDS Coordinator do you see this as a possibility

Yes, one place where I worked had an LPN working as an MDS Coord. Also, another place I worked trained nurses for this position. I see in the newspaper today that the facility I worked in as MDS Coord. is seeking an RN for this position and prefer them to be certified and are offering a $5,000 bonus. They have had this ad in the paper for months. My experience is negative, like I described above, but some people enjoy this kind of work. Check out the facilities in your area and see what happens.

TKM_LPN · Sep 16, 2006

I have been a MDS Assistant Coordinator for about 1 year now, prior to this position worked on the ICF unit as Unit Manager. There are 132 beds in our facility and at this time we have 10 Med A, the rest are what I call my residents to coordinate. There are two of us and we are both LPN's and our DON signs off on all our work. It is pretty hecktic some days and then there are days that I have the time to I educate some of the staff on new things we are trying to accomplish, one of which is a new computer program to do the MDS's and all of their (other staff) information must feed our work. At this point it is really choas. Our IT person has no nursing background and is in charge of all the changes done to make program work correctly. It will be a challenge but so was the Unit Manager job. We are occasionally pulled to the floor to help when there are call-ins. Both of us have been Unit managers and continue to know more about some of those residents then the nurses working on the floor. I feel I could be paid more but I don't think that it is likely to happen. So I will continue to do the best I can and hope that it gets easier.

newmum02 · Sep 20, 2006

I am in Ohio and paid $23.90 per hr. to do MDS

16 years experience

TKM_LPN · Sep 21, 2006

Thanks for the information I make $19.25 with 1 year at this position, have been nurse for 10 years. :nurse:

poodlehead · Sep 21, 2006

could you please explain what an MDS Coordinator does and how do you get started?

tarachristamom · Sep 22, 2006

I'm in delaware and make more the $30 per hour. I am considered management and have on call as well as responsibility to oversee QI. I have 5 years exp as a LTC manager prior to this position. Right now I have to also review referrals for our MEd A beds ( 23 with an average LOS 10-14 days) and help keep our RUG scores up. WE are looking for an admission/discharge nurse so hopefully the referral piece will soon be gone.

nurseangel31_03 · Sep 22, 2006

Hi all,
I'm an LPN from Maine. Here LPN's are not allowed to do MDS. I had started to help our MDS co-ordinator in our LTC facility and had to stop. The State stated it was an "assessment" and could not be performed by an LPN. Has anyone else experienced this with the MDS? Our MDS nurse is retiring in a few years and so I've decided to go back to school for my RN. Not a choice I wanted. I am perfectly happy as an LPN, but in order to take over I need the RN behind my name.

That is right that Lpn dont do assessments. But here in kansas you can take assessments classes and MDS classes to be able to do this. I am also an LPN and have consider maybe going for my RN because like you I want to step in to the shoes of the one doing all fo this. But I am happy at being an LNP and wish I was able to do all of this without having to get RN.

nurseangel31_03 · Sep 22, 2006

You guys all make good money. Here in rural kanas I am an LPN and work in a LTC at is attached to the hospital. I assist with MDS, do schedule. Med records. am LTC floor supervisor and assist in the hospital when need. I only make $14.25 an hour. they say we get 3% raises but are 3% raises are they take the amount the everyone in the facility makes and take 3% of the and divided it for all staff so the lowest payed person in the buidls may end up with a 4-6% raise and the highest may only get a 1% raise. I also have to fill in on the floor for nurses or CNA when we have call ins and cant find anyone to work.

dougRN2BE · Sep 22, 2006

My mom is an MDS coordinator and an LPN. She lives in AZ and makes 31/hour. She's been a nurse for 8 yrs and an MDS coordinator for about 4...

She says she makes much more than what an MDS coorinator should make and actually makes more than some of the floor RN's in the LTC facility. The caveat to the story is that she has an administrator who really likes her and they are a very close knit team...so when my mom demands a raise, she usually gets it (within reason of course).

rebesmillpn · Sep 27, 2006

Hello Nascar Nurse,

I am in Alabama and I only make 16.43/hr and I am salaried and some days there is no way I can get out on time. I have the same responsibilities with medicare and plus therapy cap limits, snf letters, care plan meetings and to many more to mention and I am the only MDS coordinator for my facility. I have only been in the position since February, 2006 but I do feel I deserve more money even as an LPN, because of all the responsibilities I have to do. I feel you on the money issues.