how often MDS C. work floor?

jsteine1 · Aug 29, 2005

Hi, new here. I've been an MDS Coordinator for about 3 months. When I took the position it was in a MESS. We just had surveyors and were tagged for care plans. Our census is usually around 80 with an average of 10 Med A. We have DON, ADON, me and Nursing Supervisor. All day shift. The last three weeks in a row, I have been pulled to work the floor one day each week. Now am I just being unreasonable, but shouldn't at least the nursing supervisor and or ADON share being pulled to the floor. And because I was spending all my time on care plans for the revisit...MDS' are way behind again. HHHHEEEEEELLLLLLLPPPPPPPP. Any advice ? ? ?

Im not sure the DON/ADON need to be seeing patients, but frankly you shouldnt either. Are you filling in temporarily to cover a maternity leave or a short term situation like it? If not, they need to use agency or hire some perdiems for that one day per week. The MDS coordinator has a mammoth job that directly affects reimbursement. Risking you getting behind on that process is financially irresponsible of them.

pageplace · Aug 29, 2005

It is just covering when a charge nurse calls in. I don't mind once in a while, but hey.....three weeks in a row, with nobody else sharing the duty? ?

jsteine1 · Aug 29, 2005

It is just covering when a charge nurse calls in. I don't mind once in a while, but hey.....three weeks in a row, with nobody else sharing the duty? ?

Ok, gotcha. No excuse for the management, but thats life anywhere but on the top of the org chart. (: (:

suebird3 · Aug 29, 2005

I am lucky in that my DON works the floor. She says that she NEVER saw the DON & ADON at her first job; didn't want to be like that. The MDS coordinator.....she is a horse of a different breed and colour. NEVER works the floor! Ok....IMHO, working the floor will help you understand the residents.

Nascar nurse, ASN, RN · Aug 29, 2005

I am an MDS nurse and I do not work the floor except when called in on the weekend when I am "on call". I do help pass meal trays and my office is right outside the dining room door so I have interaction with residents before/after meals every day. I also assist with new admits and "other stuff" when the nursing staff gets overwhelmed. BUT, in my facility anyways - they aren't even trained to do my job - so when I am overwhelmed - I'm on my own. Along with MDS/RAPS/Careplan (I do all of my own computer input as well), I am responsible for medicare and resident eligibility and monthly billing of medicare claims, restorative program, and other odd duties. I get pulled to nursing office to go over incident report/investigation reports, potential inquiry decisions, etc. I have been pulled to medical records, assist with training needs related to MDS in the facility, etc. No, I am not on the "floor", but seems like I'm everywhere else. Sure we are all like that and probably many feel like me... The invisable nurse in the crowd. I help everyone a little bit with little appreciation, but when I need help - no one knows my job.

MDSlady · Aug 30, 2005

I too am an MDS Coordinator. We have 150 bed about 30 Med A patients. I too am responsible for all careplans, weight commitee, fall and restraints, wound, pressure and skin meetings. I also hold care conferences with families which takes one whole day at that by time I update everyone's careplans, print them out and reschedule them for next time at conference.

I also have to do all annual and quarterly assessments for the remaining 130 beds that we have.

I have been pulled out of my office several times to work the floor for call-outs. I think they pull me first because I'm only an LPN. I feel they want the LPN's working the floors before the RN's in the office. I do let them know that I'm not happy about it but it was in the job description of MDS Coordinator. I am also on call every 5th weekend. Only being the MDS Coordinator for about the same (3 months) I have been called in on my weekends. What's the chance of getting through an entire weekend with no callouts? Yeah, right..... So I just plan on working. It always happens. Even before I was MDS Coordinator, they called me to work when I wasn't scheduled.

Oh, and don't forget the calls to my office before I head out of the door at 3pm. Would you like to stay and work 3-11??? We had a call out....Maybe that should be addressed :rotfl:

FROGGYLEGS, LPN · Aug 30, 2005

Where I work at now I've never seen the MDS nurse work the floor. I do know of the DON and ADON doing it, but never the MDS nurse.

Now my last job was an entirely different story. The MDS nurses there seemed to spend the majority of their time working a hall. In 3 years I saw the DON hit the floor once and it wasn't pretty. Staffing that day was as bad as it could possibly get and everyone that could be pulled to work or called in were already there.

Sometimes there really isn't any other option as the floors have to be covered. The management should take care to have PRN nurses, agency, or some other plan to staff the building so that it won't be a regular event.

suebird3 · Aug 30, 2005

MDS & Srigg: If I offended you, please forgive me. :)

Perhaps I should clarify part of the story here. Our MDS coordinator has been handing off many "other" parts of her job to us on the floor. Several of my co-workers are not happy about that, but that is life. I give you guys credit.

lovingtheunloved, ASN, RN · Aug 30, 2005

I can't imagine our MDS nurse having to work the floor. She does MDS for our facility, and our sister facility across the street, which adds up to 216 beds, and they're usually all full. She has an assistant, but she's there Mon-Fri, a lot of weekends, and is often there at midnight, and early in the morning. I do not envy her.

robin_mds_nurse · Aug 30, 2005

I have been an MDS nurse for 3 years. In the last 1 1/2 year or so, I have only worked the floor about 4 or 5 times, and that was when I was on call. We take call for a whole week at a time, every 5 weeks.

I find that so many of the nurses have no clue about how much I have to do. I just got a new assistant that has been a charge nurse for 10 years on one of our skilled halls. I asked her the other day if she had any idea what all I had to do. She said no. I told her that I would have it made in the shade if I just did was mds/raps/care plans. It is all the other duties as assigned, & all of the meetings that takes up mytime. ~Robin

Nascar nurse, ASN, RN · Aug 30, 2005

MDS & Srigg: If I offended you, please forgive me. :)
Perhaps I should clarify part of the story here. Our MDS coordinator has been handing off many "other" parts of her job to us on the floor. Several of my co-workers are not happy about that, but that is life. I give you guys credit.

No offense taken - I just usually feel taken for granted by about everyone and I often hear floor nurses questioning if we really do anything. (They just don't understand, although I have tried hard to teach em).