Career change questions re: Nursing Home Administrator vs. nursing home LPN/LVN MDS Coordinator?

This is just based on my experience, so take that into consideration. I think it depends on the state you are in, the level of experience you have and the area in which you are working.

I have worked in a lot of nursing homes and have found that the ones in larger metro areas pay more in general, that you have to have an RN here to be the MDS coordinator but just a BA/BS and 9 weeks of training to be the administrator.

The MDS nurse normally has less responsibility then the DON, but more then just a floor nurse. The administrator is responsible for everything in the facility, every department and is where the buck stops for all problems.

I want to go into geriatric social work so this is a question that I've dealt with quite a bit. I think that a lot of nursing homes are substandard, with inadequate care and improperly maintained facilities, which is why so many people are hesitant to allow family members to stay in them. If you find an outstanding one, however, than I would say utilize it and it's resources. It's impossible to try to maintain a life (be it personal or even just work related) dealing with a family member with those type of issues. I would love to see more people able to take care of their parents when it comes to that time, but the reality of the situation is that most people are both mentally, physically and financially unprepared.

LPN information

http://www.lpn123.com/