New to MDS - ? salary

rnman99 · Jul 7, 2011

If I had my MSN I wouldn't be doing MDS anyway. They don't pay me enough for the work I do and the education I do have...

edhcinc · Jul 8, 2011

Hi.

Many facilities don't expect any higher level of clinical practice from a registered nurse as from a licensed practical/vocational nurse in ANY role. And they may have no idea how a registered nurse with a MSN can be more valuable than one with a BSN or AD.

IF you can clearly explain how your ability will help the team and the client holistically analyze problems/symptoms to produce and evaluate a more individualized and "better" plan of care (and produce "better" outcomes) then you should be able to ask for, and be paid for, your skills. This approach would probably work best in a not-for-profit facility. And the MDS coordinator job description may need some serious "tweaking".

Many professionals working in nursing facilities have advanced degrees--social workers (MSW), recreational therapists, physicians, nurse practitioners, and physical therapists (their licensure will require a doctorate level preparation in the near future).

So good luck!

lisa41rn · Jul 10, 2011

Thanks for that info. I'm hoping to get a year or two as an MDS Coordinator and then move up into some mgmt position. I did work in a LTC/Rehab facility for a year part-time in the past, but never worked on the floor in LTC. Frankly I wouldn't feel comfortable with that. I just went on an interview and was told I'd either have to be on call for nursing or mgmt. I would not feel safe being a nurse on the floor as I've never done it in LTC and got out of floor nursing into Case Mgmt because I wanted to get away from the hands on nursing. That's not to say I'm willing to help out as I am, but do not want to take on a full shift as a floor nurse even if it is on-call. Does anyone know if MDS Coordinators are always required to be on-call?

montecarlo64, ASN, BSN, LPN · Jul 11, 2011

I started as a CNA, then LPN, and now I am an ASN RN. I work in LTC as MDS coordinator. My duties are MDS assessments, care planning, restorative nursing, and other misc. duties (care plan meetings, QA, etc.). I am on call every 8 weekends. I never get pulled to the floor; however, I am asked to do some RN tasks as needed: IV meds, PICC removals, ill patient assessement, etc.

I live in Indiana and I make $26/hr. No overtime allowed. This is a very stressful position. The position is more financially driven than patient care driven. I am ethically conflicted with this; however, I am doing a good job (my medicare and CMI/medicaid numbers are very high) and I try to give input to enhance the quality of the patient's care. When I got my RN license last year I applied to 20 positions at 8 different hospitals with only 1 offer: a part time night shift job 1 1/2 hours away from my home. My many years as an LPN did not count for anything. I am hoping to "bank up" some RN experience & then try again to get into a hospital setting.

If I had your education and experience and IF you really want to do management in LTC, I would go straight to an ADON or DON position. I am sure you will not have a problem landing one if that is what you really want to do. I would suggest to shadow a nurse in each of these positions to test the waters before you jump in. Good luck to you:)

Bella'sMyBaby · Jul 11, 2011

Don't know what the pay rate is in MA or NH for MDS Coordinators since I'm in the Midwest.

Doubt if you would make more with a Masters.

To answer your question concerning "On Call" depends on what Company you work for....My Company does not allow the MDS Dept to take call & if they ever did....I would be out of there!

When I have interviewed for MDS Positions, I say up front that I don't take call or work the floor....They either want a floor nurse or an MDS Coordinator.

And with the MDS 3.0, there is much more work involved.

We have been advertising for another MDS Coordinator for two months; we can't find anyone with MDS experience & this is a larger city with lots of nursing facilities.

I saw an ad last week where a facility in my State was offering a $6,000 sign on Bonus for an MDS Coordinator.

A good MDS Coordinator is worth their weight in gold & I think more Companies are beginning to realize this.

Good Luck! :)

xtxrn, ASN, RN · Jul 13, 2011

MDS coordinators don't need to be MSNs, so I'm not sure that's going to be in your favor. Bedside assessments and patient care knowledge are huge assets.

Have you gone through the hard copy MDS forms and seen the data required, and the schedules needed for Medicare patients? Only reason I'm asking is that working SNF will help some- mostly because of general nursing assessment skills , but having a working knowledge of the actual MDS and Medicare required assessments (like if someone is admitted on a Friday, in the bed at midnight, but has to go back to the hospital on Saturday, you have to do a full 5-day assessment, even if he comes back on Sunday and restarts the cycle all over again). And some questions ask for info for the past 90 days, 30 days, 14 days, 7 days, or in general. If you answer the question with the wrong time frame in mind, the whole thing has to be redone with corrections.

I made less doing MDSs than I did working nights on pediatrics, med-surg, or chemical dependency. Don't go into it for the money. And expect to be required to take call with the administrative nurses. On paper it's a desk job...in reality, at least in my 5-6 years of doing MDSs in TX, it's doing what needs doing, no matter where in the building. In the mid-90s, I was doing MDSs as added hours to being the weekend supervisor, and there were times I was in the kitchen at meals filling condiment cups with ketchup...lol.

If doing MDSs, and more than 40 hours per week are expected on a regular basis, avoid going salary- stay hourly, or you'll be giving your time away.

Hope you find a position that works for you :) It's frustrating to be willing to do something, and not find a position.

silverbat · Jul 22, 2011

Bellas my baby...........where do you work/live....LOL I take call too much!!!!

xtxrn, ASN, RN · Jul 22, 2011

Two places I did MDSs, I did not take call, per discussions before I took the jobs- BUT, I did agree to some concessions- one place, I was the RN to do 'death patrol' and come up to pronounce people dead (lovely job, but I was in an out in a few minutes)...the other, I was the one they called after hours to take care of IV problems- again, limited time. I had to do this for medical reasons (medications did not allow me to be as 'non-drowsy' as I would need to be to really work the floor.

The last place I did MDSs I had to take call- no questions or concerns about me being well enough to do it...and I ended up getting so sick from stress (work and other) that I ended up on disability. If I had been younger, I probably would have done better, since the epilepsy and dysautonomia weren't as bad in my 20s and very early 30s.

I agree completely that and MDS job should be the only job someone has in a facility. Reimbursement depends on the accuracy of the assessments, and if there's a pattern of flaky assessments, it CAN lead to fines and Medicare sanctions. Unfortunately, with the poor overall funding of LTCs and SNFs, they have to spread people too thin. Then blame the MDS nurse for any problems.

Bella'sMyBaby · Jul 22, 2011

Bellas my baby...........where do you work/live....LOL I take call too much!!!!

I'm in Indiana....are you close?

We are still looking for another MDS Coordinator.

PM me, I'll give you details....

silverbat · Jul 22, 2011

unfortunately, I am in Missouri....

Bella'sMyBaby · Jul 22, 2011

unfortunately, I am in Missouri....

In that case, I would look for employment with Corporations who don't pull from the MDS Dept.

And there are some that don't.... :)