susanthomas1954

susanthomas1954

Assessment coordinator

Member

  • Content

    195

  • Visitors

    5,394

  • Followers

    0

  • Likes

    5

All Content by susanthomas1954

  1. most medical stuff

    susanthomas1954 replied to palmpalm's topic in General Nursing

    From listening to my colleagues, I would guess in a cardio ICU setting. One of my buddies works in the unit where the heart transplant patients go from surgery, and I think she does absolutely...

  2. Told to clean room

    susanthomas1954 replied to cargalrn's topic in General Nursing

    Two sides to this story. One: read Florence Nightengale's "Notes on Nursing." It's a quick read, and once you get past the crinoline skirts catching fire in the fire place, it's sobering. After I...

  3. Nasty residents, smoking, and insubordination

    susanthomas1954 replied to CapeCodMermaid's topic in LTC: Directors, Assistant

    As per usual, the report you got from your charge nurse was probably not the whole story. There were probably a dozen other problems with the patient, and she chose to focus on that one because it...

  4. Which job should I take?

    susanthomas1954 replied to adlockwood's topic in Case Management

    Be careful taking a case management job with a Medicare replacement provider. Do some research on what is in the works for healthcare reform. Luckily you have back-up, but be careful to see the...

  5. Is there any weight to MDS "certification?"

    susanthomas1954 replied to IMABSNRN's topic in MDS Coordinator Information

    If you are doing the OASIS for home health, you have a good start for the MDS process. The main question I would ask is, What do you like about nursing? If you like accuracy and paper, minimal...

  6. Staff RN doing MDS

    susanthomas1954 replied to RNMLIS's topic in MDS Coordinator Information

    Having worked in facilities where both policies have been in effect, I have to say we should be able to expect the floor nurses to do an accurate ASSESSMENT of the patient monthly, and we SHOULD be...

  7. Caring For A Family Suffering A Fetal Demise

    susanthomas1954 replied to mother/babyRN's topic in General Nursing

    I too, had a fetal death almost thirty years ago. I had almost a week between the news and the delivery. The first induction, with pitocin failed, and I was sent home to come back the next day for...

  8. ADL care plan

    susanthomas1954 replied to nyteshade's topic in MDS Coordinator Information

    This whole thread is the Stephen King novel of MDS world, imho. Every new admin and DON has their own idea of how I should write THE care plan, and the floor nurses who see the patient most...

  9. Does allnurses.com make you a better nurse?

    susanthomas1954 replied to Brian's topic in General Nursing

    Yes, it makes me a better nurse, because of the people that do the sharing on the MDS area. Every nurse in that specialty will be better at their job because of the nature of what we go through in...

  10. What is the scariest thing that has happened to you while working as a nurse?

    susanthomas1954 replied to caffeineRx's topic in General Nursing

    Had a gun pulled on me by a drunk visitor, while the gyn resident went to the floor under my desk. Called for security, hospital operator laughed and told me they went home at 5 PM. Went up to the...

  11. The QI report is not my fault

    susanthomas1954 replied to susanthomas1954's topic in MDS Coordinator Information

    You know what I would love to see? I would love to see the DON and Administrator take the nurses into the conference room and talk to them about the QI's. And talk to them the same way they talk to...

  12. MDS Coordinator. Again!?

    susanthomas1954 replied to fulzgold's topic in MDS Coordinator Information

    Sounds familiar. That said: BEHIND is often in the eye of the beholder. In a 45 bed facility, it would be VERY strange to be 30 MDS's behind. If the ARD is less than 14 days back, it's not late....

  13. McareA, McareB, Skilled Mcaid, 60 day break

    susanthomas1954 replied to fulzgold's topic in MDS Coordinator Information

    Medicare A is inpatient, Medicare B is outpatient, including skilled PT/OT when a patient in a SNF is not under a skilled stay (Medicare A, and HMO,or private insurance paying a per-diem rate) A 60...

  14. Who Pays for MED A items?

    susanthomas1954 replied to CapeCodMermaid's topic in MDS Coordinator Information

    Do you have or use the Advance Beneficiary Notice? And, very importantly, what other payor sources might be available, private secondary, VA, IHS, medicaid in some flavor?

  15. certifiation recerts

    susanthomas1954 replied to luvwine's topic in MDS Coordinator Information

    I delegate to Medical Records. she gets the initial cert on admission, and brings me all the certs for the week on Monday. I check the dates and fill in the necessary info, and she gets them signed....

  16. Charting Frequency Long Term Care Medicaid

    susanthomas1954 replied to Skeetersmom119's topic in MDS Coordinator Information

    Monthly summary-like a mini-physical. For the annual MDS I push for another "Admission Assessment" from nursing, going over them from head to toe, as if they were a new

  17. Patient Right to Appeal Discharge

    susanthomas1954 replied to d'cm's topic in Case Management

    All states have laws for the right to appeal a discharge. every state has an agency designated for appeals. (Called a QIO-Quality I? Organization) I forget what the I stands for. Every patient (or...

  18. Burnout

    susanthomas1954 replied to MistyDawnRN06's topic in General Nursing

    Well said. Introspectively said, as well, and every nurse I've ever known could relate to a lot of what you said. Thank

  19. Should the H1N1 Vaccine be mandatory for Healthcare Professionals?

    susanthomas1954 replied to Brian's topic in Disaster Preparation

    Hey, I want to know if I have TB! Has nothing to do with taking a

  20. Roster/Sample Matrix

    susanthomas1954 replied to carrieMDSrn's topic in MDS Coordinator Information

    The only facility where i worked where it was done right, the MDS nurse did it. The unit managers really don't keep up with who has a foley and who has a wound. They think they do, but they don't....

  21. MDS Coordinator. Again!?

    susanthomas1954 replied to fulzgold's topic in MDS Coordinator Information

    MDS is management in AZ, everywhere I've been. The only catch is that in the smaller facilities, they think they can make you ADON and MDS. It's not fair to reimbursement if they take you away from...

  22. Help with Care Plans!!! What all to care plan???

    susanthomas1954 replied to Illusion_mbk's topic in MDS Coordinator Information

    As a former winner of the Nobel Prize for Care Plans, (ok, I made that up) I would like to say that If I write a care plan for a patient or resident, the state will not be happy. You have to care...

  23. Nine Or More Meds?

    susanthomas1954 replied to mdsdebbie's topic in MDS Coordinator Information

    Well, this is where the dumb blonde in me comes out. I just look up at the DON with cow eyes and say, "What should that care plan look like? I think I need to see an example of how you want that...

  24. Managed care

    susanthomas1954 replied to Rascal1's topic in MDS Coordinator Information

    Seriously...the armchair quarterbacks need to chill, no? I've been reading medical records for 37 years, and I know an IV med when I see one. Everyone's an extensive services expert....I had to...

  25. other nurses not letting you do your job

    susanthomas1954 replied to karenp31's topic in MDS Coordinator Information

    Was teaching a few new nursing students some rudiments of the MDS/RAI process today. They were very impressed that there is one tool that designates reimbursement, helps begin the care planning...