Staff Nurse at Hospital or RAI -MDS Coordinator?

[Kookie2412]

Hello,

I am very very very confused about this tough decision I have to make. I graduated from nursing 3 years ago, --took 1 year off --thenworked as a LTC RN for 1 year--then went on Mat leave for 1 year-- and right off from mat leave I have been working at a hospital for 3 months (keeping my LTC job as casual while working full time bedside RN at hospital). Now I have got a call from my DOC at LTC asking if I want to take up RAI-MDS coordinator position (full time with higher pay than hospital)?

I dont know WHAT TO DO? I like hospital nursing because its hands on and I am learning new stuff. Plus its only 10 mins from my place, 12 hours of shift nursing and very elderly population and very physical demanding (this matters because I have pelvic prolapse which is getting worse). I am very petite girl 5 feet-95 pounds wt.

Now this LTC RAI MDS coordinator position would be 830 to 430 mon-fri. weekends off. The only draw back is its 45 mins drive north. and if I join this then I will have to quit hospital nursing with no possibility of returning.

I dont know what to do somebody please suggest- should I continue to be a bedside nurse or grab this opportunity of RAI MDS coordinator?

Thanks a bunch.

[Ruas61, BSN, RN]

-Do you have any idea about what an RNAC is?

Why are they asking you out of the blue?

It is not always a 9-5 job.

I would think investigate and think long and hard.

You have minimal experience to take on this job.

I would suggest you get some

[miccay]

I agree with the first answer. MDS is not a 9-5 job. You have to consider what other tasks come with that position. In some facilities, the MDS Coordinator has to take call. That is very hard to do. How many beds is the facility and what is their medicare census? The MDS position is no joke. Some may think it is an easy office job, but it is demanding and in some cases it will drive you crazy if you do not have the support of management. Do more investigation into the job and find out more details of other duties they will expect from you. You may have to work weekends if you can not get the work done during the week. The 3.0 has a lot of assessments that are time consuming and have to be completed and transmitted within a short period of time. Good luck.

[susanthomas1954]

Do not believe for one minute that you will never go in on a weekend. Why did the last person leave?

ST

[JTworoger]

Lets also not forget the many other jobs that the MDS Coordinator has to do... audit charts, keep up with wound care, making sure the other nurses are documented like they are suppose to, dealing with insurance claims, talking on the phone with the MDS Program Software company, calling your RAI Coordinator, making sure your assessments are never let, hunting down PT/OT/ST for minutes, attending QA and other department head meetings, going to classes for updates on 3.0...

Besides my MDS job, I also am over the Medical Records department and I am the Employee health nurse who gives all new hire PPDs, Hep Bs, and do the drug testing for accidents.

To be honest with you sometimes being an MDS Coordinator as apposed to being a floor nurse is more work. Before I took this job, I would really talk to the Director that is offering the position and really find out more about what it entails.

[pixie120]

I would really consider those things others have mentioned prior to leaving the hospital. First off, you may nevermake it back to the hospital and the MDS postion can and is quite political, sometimes you are under the DON and other times under the Administrator, and some facilities pull MDS nurse to work on the floor, without a care in the world to the workload at hand. Good facilities leave the MDS nurse alone, bad one's don't. I would be interested mostly in WHY the previous nurse left the MDS position.