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It goes back to what do you want to do with your nursing degree? I started off in long term care many years ago as an STNA, then an LPN, then an RN, and now 6 months out from my BSN....and still work in long term care, and by no means am I incompetent like that stigma out there portrays. I actually had an opportunity to take a position for an internship not too long ago at our city's only trauma hospital and I turned it down. I love long term care. Yes, I have worked the 40 to 1 ratio and I still loved it then because in the end you do build strong relationships with your residents and their families. Now, I do not work on the floor currently. I work on the finanical side of things, but I still love it, and I still love my residents. So it's all in what you want to do. This current position I have has actually changed my career path from wanting to obtain my NP degree to wanting to get an MBA because I love the business side of things as well, so my career path I have chosen was for a reason. So, if you should decide to remain in long term care, do not worry about what the general public has to say. Us long term care nurses are not incompetent by any means, and when those who put long term care down instead of trying to bring it up, will be glad when them or their loved ones show up at the front door and a nurse like me who knows her sh%t is there to care for them and their family.

I am currently attending University of Phoenix and about 6 months out from my BSN. I chose this route for flexibility. My long term goal is either MSN or MBA and I wanted to know if anyone out there has chosen an online route for these degrees and do employers look down on them versus the traditional classroom? As I'm sure all of you are extremely busy too, and I can't see finding the time to attend a traditional classroom for years to come...What should I do? What have your experiences been with online degrees and employers?? Does it even matter anymore? Thanks in advance!!

Hello my fellow MDS nurses. Does anyone have any tips for effective ADL training for not so enthusiastic STNAs and nurses?

On the other hand...you may love it. I wouldn't exactly call being an MDS nurse a "stand still" position. It all depends on what you want to do with your nursing education. I have worked in long term care since a teen, and I went to RN school because I wanted to do acute care. After working as the lead MDS coordinator for a while, I quickly realized that I loved that aspect of nursing, being the business side of things. I am 6 months from my BSN and I have acutally thought about my original plan of obtaining my NP to getting an MBA. So like I said, it all depends on what YOU are interested in. For me, I love what I do, and am challenged everyday. The MDS nurse controls so many aspects of clinical as well as control of reimbursement to a large degree with Medicare and Medicaid and private insurances. So for me, what I thought I once wanted to do, I no longer care about, that being acute care nursing, etc. I want to do something on the business side of things, and being an RN will certainly help on my resume for future jobs. So with that being said, try it, if you like it, great. You can never have too much education and knowledge about the many various avenues of nursing!

Oh my, I bet you are BUUUUSY! What part of Ohio are you in, what facility? We may be neighbors :)

Thanks for the input. I guess things are different state to state. I am from Ohio and I believe the average case mix score is 2.0 with our midwest buildings. Interesting how medicaid does things. Well, talk to ya later! Im about 2 years new to MDS and I love talking about it, so write back anytime :)

Hello! Sinclair community college offers a bridge program. They say it is # 2 in the country for nursing school. It has a bad reputation for their waiting list, but as an LPN after you complete your prereqs like A&P, etc. you get right into the program and do not have to wait. All in all, it should take you 2-3 yrs depending upon your status as full or part time and how many prereqs you already have completed. It is located in Downtown Dayton, OH.

Hey all, in our building, they expect our case mix to be 2.3 whole house and 2.3 caid only. We only have 148 beds and maybe run an average of 4 medicares. We also do not have alot of things such as IVs. I was just curious what other peoples' case mixes are out there, and how are you doing it?? Thanks!

I have a question for everyone out there. What are everyone's medicaid and medicare average case mix scores? And what type of building is it?

Hi there. To me, nursing school is almost like boot camp. We have clinicals from 4p-10 or 10:30p and get one half hour. And not to mention the thousand other criteria we must meet to stay in clinicals. After clinicals every night we have a 10 hour care plan "packet" that needs completed by 4 p.m the next day, and don't have one thing wrong on it or you will be sent home. Nursing is probably the most horrible thing to experience but the end product is a competent nurse.

If there was that big of need, then definately everyone available should have chipped in or been assigned to work the floor. I have been in LTC for 10 years from being a CNA, LPN, and almost an RN. I have seen alot with holding different positions under these titles. Kind of like when I was a CNA my thoughts were "them nurses never do anything alot of the day but pass medicine and chart" then as a nurse I realized that nurses are extremely busy and passing meds and charting could very well take up 7 hrs of your day, and that it wasn't due to just laziness, etc. Then as an LPN on the floor, I would say things like them management people, (and MDS nurses) never ever come out of their office and they just all have it made, etc. but now as an MDS nurse, I see just how much manaement nurses go through, expecially DONs! Kind of off the topic, but I think that everyone has a specific job to do, and the comment of MDS nurses work 40 hrs all daylight, well that is what comes with the job territory, and if other people don't like it, then they too can find a different position. Anyways, in my facility we report to the Administrator, and our job is strictly financial, and we were just recently taken off of the on call schedule for that reason to concentrate solely on reimbursement, and if you are constantly working the floor, you can't do a good job with that. Where I work, the unit managers are on call when needed, but at any rate if times are hard, I have no problem chipping in.

Do any MDS nurses out there have to be on call at there facility when someone calls off? If so, is the pay higher?

I am an LPN in in OH working in MDS and I make $22/hr. I am responsible for about 70 residents in an alzheimers facility. We have mabye an average of 10 skilled people. I have only been at this for about 6 months and the only reason I started doing it was the flexible hours for school, but I actually sort of like it, but am I just dumb or does anyone else out there think that sometimes the whole thing is just ENTIRELY confusing???? To me, it seems like a HUGE number chase.