Clinical Documentation / MDS Nurse Specialist - Nurse Specialist / Full-time, Day Shift

Location: Various (one of the eight Minnesota Veterans Homes in Bemidji, Fergus Falls, Hastings, Luverne, Montevideo, Preston, or Silver Bay, as agreed upon by the agency and incumbent).

Telework eligible: Yes – required to work in-person for at least 50% of scheduled workdays each month.

Full-time, unlimited position.

About the role

This position serves Minnesota Veterans Home residents by guiding and overseeing clinical care processes for the Minimum Data Set (MDS) in each of the Minnesota State Veterans Homes. The Clinical Documentation/MDS Nurse Specialist provides clinical and regulatory consultation and guidance to the clinical MDS teams in the delivery of quality care and case management of residents’ medical care and documentation best practices.

The Clinical Documentation/MDS Nurse Specialist orients, mentors, and trains facility-level MDS Coordinators in conducting resident assessments, completing the MDS, developing resident plans of care, and documentation requirements. This position also serves as a subject-matter expert in MDS and CMS regulations for MDVA Central Office staff and coordinates with Central Office billing consultant staff to ensure appropriate documentation and billing practices are occurring.

The Clinical Documentation/MDS Nurse Specialist routinely reviews and provides clinical consultation for required MDS assessment updates for the agency, stays current with regulatory updates, and develops and delivers education to the interdisciplinary teams on these regulatory changes. This position develops and carries out routine audits to ensure compliance with regulatory guidelines, organizes and leads agency-level MDS meetings, and attends facility-level MDS and compliance meetings in a resource capacity. Additionally, this position is a member of the Central Office Survey Readiness team and participates in the survey readiness visits to each MDVA facility on an annual basis.

Responsibilities

• Provide clinical and regulatory consultation and guidance to MDS teams in delivering quality care and case management.
• Orient, mentor, and train facility-level MDS Coordinators on resident assessments, MDS completion, care plans, and documentation requirements.
• Serve as a subject-matter expert in MDS and CMS regulations for MDVA Central Office staff.
• Coordinate with Central Office billing consultant staff to ensure appropriate documentation and billing practices.
• Review and provide clinical consultation for required MDS assessment updates.
• Stay current with regulatory updates and develop and deliver education on these changes to interdisciplinary teams.
• Develop and conduct routine audits to ensure compliance with regulatory guidelines.
• Organize and lead agency-level MDS meetings and attend facility-level MDS and compliance meetings.
• Participate in annual survey readiness visits to each MDVA facility as a member of the Central Office Survey Readiness team.
• Travel up to 25% of the time to provide orientation, consultation, and education on Medicare and MDS regulations, as well as for survey readiness visits.

Requirements

• Current licensure as a Registered Nurse in the State of Minnesota, with no restrictions and in good standing.
• Four (4) years of combined long-term care/skilled nursing and clinical Minimum Data Set (MDS) nurse experience, with demonstrated competency in both areas.
• Resident Assessment Coordinator Certification (RAC-CT) or the ability to obtain it within the probationary period.
• Knowledge of Medicare and healthcare reimbursement regulations/systems.
• Ability to travel to all Minnesota Veteran Home locations.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or advanced degree in Nursing.
• Certification in a long-term care-related specialty (e.g., Pain, RAI-MDS, Wound Care, Gerontology, Hospice).
• Experience working with CMS regulations.

Additional Requirements

• Successful completion of a Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) background check.
• Tuberculosis (Mantoux) screening (or chest x-ray) prior to employment.
• Employee reference checks, including review of job performance documentation and contact with former employer(s).
• Driver’s license check may be required for finalists.

Pay

$42.20 - $60.06 / hourly; $88,113 - $125,405 / annually.

Schedule

• Day shift: 8:00 am - 4:30 pm.
• Days of work: Monday - Friday.

Benefits

• Paid vacation and sick leave.
• 12 paid holidays each year.
• Low-cost medical, dental, vision, and prescription drug plans.
• Fertility care, including IVF.
• Diabetes care.
• Dental and orthodontic care for adults and children.
• 6 weeks paid leave for parents of newborn or newly adopted children.
• Pension plan providing income after at least three years of service.
• Employer-paid life insurance.
• Short-term and long-term disability insurance.
• Tax-free expense accounts for health, dental, and dependent care.
• Resources promoting physical, emotional, social, and financial well-being.
• Training, classes, and professional development opportunities.
• Federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program eligibility (for qualifying positions).
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for work/life support, including mental health, relationship challenges, grief and loss, finances, and legal issues.
• Daily living/convenience services, such as chore services, home repair, trip planning, and child/elder care.