Turned in my Resignation

[rukiddingme]

I'm an LPN and have been the MDS Coordinator at a 105 bed facility for 7 mths. I was hired with no experience, and got approximately 1 week of training (from a corporate MDS consultant for the company) spread out over a couple of weeks. When I was hired, the DON at the time (their on the 3rd one now) told me that they would try not to work me on the floor, so the MDS work could get done. Nobody else in the building has done this job, so they couldn't help me at all. I've worked M-F, at least 8 1/2 hrs a day, and at times, I work weekends to get caught up.

The MDS consultant also assists in the MDS billing for my facility, and has told me over & over, what a great job I'm doing. But, I've never had a job review/evaluation - nor has anyone come around to 'check' that I'm doing the job correctly.

This past Friday I was in a department head meeting, and it was told to me that I would need to be added to the 'on call rotation' (which is a week at a time) as part of my job. During this meeting, teamwork was also talked about, and suggestions that we 'dept. head nurses' need to work together to see that things get done (because we're in our state survey window).

What pi**es me off the most, is that nobody ever came to me and said, "hey we could really use your help out on the floor - would you mind picking up some hours?" And when I was 2 weeks behind on the MDS', nobody talked about team work and giving me any assistance when I needed it. So, I went to the administrator, and turned in my 30 day notice.

I've known for months that I didn't want to keep working at this facility - there's alot of angry people working there, I have to fight with the other team members to get them to turn in their parts of the MDS, and many of the dept. heads haven't had any sort of raise for years.

[BEDPAN76]

Wow! How have you been doing it??? Get out now. The administration obviously has no idea what MDS entails.

[rukiddingme]

I saw another thread asking about job duties & pay, so that gave me the idea to add my information.

I am salary, get paid for 40 hrs/week @ $19.00/hr.

MDS areas completed by me: AA,I, J1235,L,M,O, P1A, P2, P5-9,Q. R1, W

Medicare meeting Q monday

Morning meeting, daily

Care plan meetings on Tues & Thurs

Discharge meetings as scheduled by Soc. Service

Therapy/Medicare family update meetings as scheduled by Soc. Service

I make up the monthly assessment (ARD) calendar for everyone on the team to follow

I also schedule the care plan meetings, and make up a calendar for that -- and I make up & send letters with the meeting date to the families.

Update care plans as needed - check telephone orders daily for changes

Review & update assessments: pain, braden & dehydration

RAP's that I do: pressure ulcer, dehydration, tube feedings, restraints, dental/oral

I also am in charge of starting a 'post care plan letter' to the families that do not attend - everyone on the team must completes their own section.

I have my own running list of accidents/falls, and ER/hospitalizations, so I can complete the MDS area for those items.

Just a week ago, I had MDS'/RAPs/C.Plans on my desk from July -- that weren't yet completed by the dietary manager. And right now, I know for a fact that there are at least 40 MDS' w/care plans & RAPs on my desk that the other team members need to complete.

[disney158]

I have been a MDS coordinator for 12 years, it really depends on the administrator to see your value and not send you to the floor as a "staffing accessory", has never happened to me at my curent job, which is why I am still here after 6 years, and why I left the other job, some times better to be a floor nurse than a unappreciated MDS nurse !!!

[VeryberryRN]

I am an MDS Coordinator in New York State. I have been doing my current job for three years, but have been doing MDS's since 1986. (Yea, I'm one of those old nurses) I have been an MDS coordinator in other facilities, and have managed a rehab unit before my current job. Here you have to be an RN to be a coordinator. My facility has 120 beds. Basically I really love what I do, and I really believe in the MDS. It works if it is used correctly, and if the staff allow it to work. It sounds like the place that you work has not learned to use it at all. From what you described, you were never given the tools to even do the MDS correctly, much less get the other departments to do their parts. Your didn't mention if you are certified. If you decide to stay in LTC, I suggest you get certified ASAP. This will help you more than you can imagine. Also, you need to sit down with administration, and work out a plan to become organized. You can NEVER be behind as much as you spoke of being behind. The other departments are setting you up for failure. Turning in your resignation out of anger may not be the best thing for you professionally. You may want to re-think that. Best of luck!!

[rukiddingme]

I just found out yesterday, that the 'on call rotation' that they wanted me to be on, is for a full week, every 3 weeks!!

(In the meeting we had, they said once every 5 weeks - but then the Administrator changed it - and took the DON & ADON off the rotation, since they are 'on-call' 24/7 for IV's)

So, at times, I would have been on-call twice in a month. Granted, there may not be any shifts to fill on the floor each time, but then again, it could happen -- all depending on the staffing.

[Rexie68]

i couldn't even imagine trying to work the floor in addition to your own work schedule. doesn't management understand that you are responsible for making sure things get done right for reimbursement? usually money talks......

in addition to that, it would take me at least twice as long as a regular floor nurse to pass meds......i'd have to double check everything since it's been a while since i had to give meds to 25 residents. plus, knowing mds coordinators ocd-ish ways, we end up wanting to make sure everything is perfect.....trying to figure out why that procrit wasn't given yesterday....in the middle of a pill pass....when it could wait. at least, that's me...i just know that i'm better at what i do now. i could still pass pills if needed, but it's not my forte'.

good luck to you. perhaps you could use your amazing organizational skills to go back to school...i'm finally doing it after 20 years!! doing mds' is a great job to have while going to school....they can be done any time of the day or night!

take care.

[rukiddingme]

Well, I know that I've been told (by several different staff members & other department heads) that there's been quite a few people in the MDS position in the past 2 yrs -- and that the corporate people do things like this -- putting them 'on call' and whatever else, and they end up leaving because the job entails too much. So, evidently, the company doesn't think the MDS job is important enough to keept things the way it was.

[rukiddingme]

I had the corporate 'MDS consultant' call me Thursday and asked me to reconsider my resignation.

I gave her the reasons that I made the decision and that I didn't feel I could continue to do the job under the new terms.

They placed an ad in friday's paper for my position -- much different than it was when I applied -- their asking for an RN with long term care experience, but not necessarily MDS experience, since they will train the right person.

Hope they make it known to the person they hire, that they will be on call for a week at a time, every 3 weeks.

Along with handling all the other MDS duties.

[CoffeeRTC, BSN, RN]

You made the right decision! That is insane. Call every so often is okay, not on a schedule like that.

[rukiddingme]

Update. It's now been 2 weeks since I put in my resignation -- so I have 2 weeks left. I've asked the receptionist (every day this week) if she got any applications for my position -- and the answer has been No.

But, there is an email address in the ad they ran, so someone could have submitted info that way. But, she also says that she hasn't seen anyone come in for an interview either.

Maybe I'll be leaving before they have another 'warm body' to fill the spot.

[BEDPAN76]

Hey Tara, good to hear from you again. Have you found another job? :)