I was an LPN for 23 years. For the first 5 years, I worked med surg and obstetrics in an acute care hospital. Then, after 5 years, I took a job as a floor nurse in a long term care facility. To make a long story short, I was promoted to MDS nurse in 1996 as an LPN under the direction of the MDS Coordinator, who showed me the "ropes" in a never ending learning process. She signed off on all my MDS assessments, and never had a problem doing so, because I often heard her say to the DNS, "She does a better job than most of the others that have been in that position". As an LPN, I always felt that I had to work harder to prove myself. I went back to school and got my RN, but basically, the only thing about my job that changed is now I can sign off on the MDS as the Coordinator, and I can now "initiate" the plan of care, not just contribute to it as a member of the team. I think that if an LPN has an interest in learning this type of nursing and has a good strong partner to back her up, it works out very well. At least it did for me.
Donna Browne-Atkins, RN Resident Assessment Coordinator ?N�jnj��ˬ�*'�.�+~�����Ǩ~�^g��Ƨ�(r&����|۫��,��,��� �+v)ڶ�� ����^v�-��,��,���>� z�"�v��.��h�+"[EMAIL PROTECTED]@װ���,�梷���/�ȭ�ƭ��i��0���i�+�
