throw in the towel with MDS

hi I am new to MDS, took a position 2 months ago. I WAS going to be trained by their former coordinator, but she left. I am reading my manual, and we have another MDS nurse, though she acts shall I say , unapproachable at times. I have inherited a mess. The former MDS coordinator didnt even go out and assess her residents!! How much time should I give this? I know other people have trained themselves. When do you start to feel comfortable?

Hi: I was wondering about how many residents are you in charge off? I mean, assesment is the first step you should follow, after receiving the shift report.

Let me be clear, as I see it, and I'm used to, I first receive the shift report. then give a quick visit to the residents, and go back over charts. Based on these info I plan the work for the entire shift. As I have CNAs, I tell them exactly what to do to each resident. Then I go through each resident more profoundly in the required order depending on their priorities (risk, needs, treatments) I work close to my CNAs all shift, supervising and actulaly with them.

Hi: I was wondering about how many residents are you in charge off? I mean, assesment is the first step you should follow, after receiving the shift report.

Let me be clear, as I see it, and I'm used to, I first receive the shift report. then give a quick visit to the residents, and go back over charts. Based on these info I plan the work for the entire shift. As I have CNAs, I tell them exactly what to do to each resident. Then I go through each resident more profoundly in the required order depending on their priorities (risk, needs, treatments) I work close to my CNAs all shift, supervising and actulaly with them.

Of course a new resident would take more time in assesing and palnning

What exactly is involved in an MDS position?

hi I am new to MDS, took a position 2 months ago. I WAS going to be trained by their former coordinator, but she left. I am reading my manual, and we have another MDS nurse, though she acts shall I say , unapproachable at times. I have inherited a mess. The former MDS coordinator didnt even go out and assess her residents!! How much time should I give this? I know other people have trained themselves. When do you start to feel comfortable?

ive been doing MDS for years now and i still refer to the RAI manual, it took about a year to become comfortable , it is a constant learning process, a reorganizing process,there are resources on the net for the "minimum data set" and every state has a mds contact person. give yourself time, keep at it, ask questions of your don, im sure the other one seems unapproachable because shes probabily trying to keep her system structured, its a difficult task, no one said it would be easy in fact im shure they have said your nuts for taking the job,. it can be stress full its alot of work and variables, and each person is unique. but once you get it.. its a beautiful thing , it creats a massave ammount of information on all your residents (referring to the 672 and the 802) that is a very usefull tool. some times on my way to work i start singing the theme from mission impossible, lol

puts me in the right frame of mind.

from one mds coordinator to another, ( its impossible to keep your chin up and your nose to the grind stone, unless you move the grind stone up:) )

I have been a MDS coordinator for 3 years. It took me a good 3 months to really know what I was doing, and another 3 to get comfortable. It is too bad that the other MDS coordinator is not willing to help you.

This job is not for everyone! Tomorrow, I will start training my second person in a year, the first one quit after about 8 months.

Is your DON supportive? I would speak to her, and explain the mess you have, and see if any training is available. I get advertisements all the time for MDS training by different companies. The company I work for has their own training. We are required to go through the class, and take & pass an exam for mds competency.

The Rai Manual is my Bible, but there are things that are better if they are explained by someone familiar with it. Especially Section G, whch is the hardest on the MDS. It is so often under coded. Good Luck, & feel free to contact me if you have any specific questions ~Robin

Hi surfnbeagle!

I'm new to the board. Nice to meet you.

Ask for help. Ask for training. Get your DON to send you to MDS training. Work at it for 6 months and ask to be sent again. The other MDS nurse can help you! She's probably too busy to notice, so wave a flag at her. She knows what it's like to be starting out. I hope you have a smaller load until you get your feet on the ground. Hang in there, it's a huge system. It will take a while to absorb it all. I'd give it 6 months to a year to feel comfortable, depending on your learning curve.

"The Journey Is The Reward"

I have been a MDS coordinator for 3 years. It took me a good 3 months to really know what I was doing, and another 3 to get comfortable. It is too bad that the other MDS coordinator is not willing to help you.

This job is not for everyone! Tomorrow, I will start training my second person in a year, the first one quit after about 8 months.

Is your DON supportive? I would speak to her, and explain the mess you have, and see if any training is available. I get advertisements all the time for MDS training by different companies. The company I work for has their own training. We are required to go through the class, and take & pass an exam for mds competency.

The Rai Manual is my Bible, but there are things that are better if they are explained by someone familiar with it. Especially Section G, whch is the hardest on the MDS. It is so often under coded. Good Luck, & feel free to contact me if you have any specific questions ~Robin

What company can you recommend for training? Have you seen any in Texas? Thanks

Hi....try going to http://www.mdstraining.org and see what they have. I was the MDS coordinator/Utilization Coordinator/care plan.....for a year. I got tired of trying to drag all the other departments along to do the MDS's the right way...good luck

What is MDS? I'm trying to learn as much as I can before I even start my Nursing pre-reqs. Thank you!

Hi....try going to http://www.mdstraining.org and see what they have. I was the MDS coordinator/Utilization Coordinator/care plan.....for a year. I got tired of trying to drag all the other departments along to do the MDS's the right way...good luck

Thank you. The information is great but apparently a work in progress. Thanks again.

I received training through the AANAC (American Association of Nurse Assessment Coordinators), where you can actually become certified. I've been doing MDS's now for 8 months, and am still learning, finding things I did wrong, and have those days where I feel overwhelmed. But I still like it. Try going to http://www.aanac.org. The class they offer, as well as classes offered by CMS are great resources. You can try this link, but I'm not sure if you have to be a member to access it. I'd highly recommend becoming a member though. It has great resources. http://www.aanac.org/education/default.asp

Hi, I've been an MDS Coordinator for 5 years. The RAI manual is my Bible and

I'm also a graduate of AANAC (American Association of Nurse Assessment Coordinators). AANAC has work manuals for every section of the MDS. They also have a web site with updates, forums, FAQ's, etc.

You can also attend other training seminars provided by Briggs and others which give a good overview for beginners. The only way to accurately score an MDS is by extensive training, reading your RAI manual, and experience. Good luck.