Medical coding and being a nurse

Coding is very important if you are wanting to transition into UR, billing, and certain other positions. I would recommend a classroom coding class if you are unfamiliar with coding.

Good luck.

I'm in a four-year health information management program. That covers a lot of ground in addition to coding, but I can tell you about those types of classes, as they're a part of my curriculum. You need a good memory and the ability to follow the (often twisted) branching logic behind the codes. Different facilities bundle their services differently, so you have to adapt your knowledge to properly work within those parameters. You also have to be fairly comfortable with a variety of PC-based software and be willing to learn all the time, because the information changes a lot.

There are credentials for varying levels of knowledge that include coding to some degree, as well as a variety of specialties. Try the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA)'s website: www.ahima.org for more information.

One option that would be available to you as an RN if you obtained a strong background in coding and documentation is the role of a clinical documentation specialist. Your RN clinical skills would be very valuable to you in that position. Here is a presentation created by Vanderbilt University on the specifics of this job: http://www.ahdionline.org/portals/0/downloads/ACE09_PowerPoint/Hays_ClinicalDocImprSpecialist.pdf

I hope that helps.

Thank you for the above information. I recently trained as an field reviewer for a medical informatics company. There have been multiple problems with the equipment. One supervisor told me I could abstract information and did not need to scan supporting documentation since I am a nurse. This doesn't sound right. Any input is appreciated. Thank you!