W W W.A A N A C.O R G
NURSE ASSESSMENT
COORDINATOR STUDY
Overview . . . .2
Education and Experience . . . 3
Compensation . . . .4
Challenges and Workload. . . 6
Sections of the MDS. . . 7
Research
Study
Overview
Background
During the last quarters of 2011, 2013, and 2014, the American Association of Nurse Assessment Coordination (AANAC) has surveyed its membership of nurse assessment
coordinators (NACs) working in long‐term care with the purpose of understanding the issues affecting their job duties, performance, satisfaction, and challenges. By collecting, analyzing, and trending this data, AANAC endeavors to:
Benchmark and report average completion times for MDSs by assessment type
Benchmark and report compensation levels by various factors
Benchmark and understand the time‐factors effecting accurate MDS assessment
Benchmark and understand nursing home staffing practices and trends Methodology
In October 2014, AANAC sent an email to approximately 14,000 AANAC members asking for their participation this annual survey. Members had three weeks to complete the electronic survey for a chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card.
From the completed surveys, AANAC analyzed only the responses from members who indicated that they work full‐time in the functional role of “MDS coordinator/Nurse assessment
coordinator.”
The DHHS's Nursing Home Data Compendium 2013 Edition reports that there are 15,652
nursing homes in the United States. According to AANAC's 2013 Nurse Leader Work Study, each nursing home staffs an average of 1.71 NACs; therefore, AANAC estimates that there are
approximately 26,775 NACs currently working in the field.
With 521 NAC respondents, this survey provides a statistically valid sample of the NAC field with a 95% confidence level and a 4.25% +/‐ error rate.
Data Basis
The number of NACs participating in the study provides a large enough sample to be representative of all NACs working in the field; however, the results are biased toward the demographic profile of AANAC members and the facilities that they represent. Specifically, AANAC members are more likely to work in non‐profit facilities; therefore, these results may or
NAC
Education
and
Experience
Seventy‐eight percent (78%) of NACs are RNs with either a nursing diploma, associate degree, Bachelors of Nursing (BSN), or a Masters of Nursing.
More than half of NACs (56%) have 10 or more years of experience as a NAC.
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% LPN/LVN Nursing diploma Associate degree Bachelors of Nursing Masters of Nursing
Highest Level of Nursing Education
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25%
Less than 1 year 1-2 years 3-5 years 6-9 years 10-14 years 15-19 years 20-24 years 25 years or more
NAC
Compensation
NAC compensation averages $68,702 per year or $30.03 per hour. Education and facility location appear to be the top drivers of NAC compensation. Fifty‐six percent of NACs report receiving an hourly rate, while 44% receive a salary.
NAC RNs earn an average of 11% more than NAC LPN/LVNs. Slight variation in salary exists among NAC RNs with diplomas, associates degrees, and BSNs. NAC RNs achieving a Masters average another 11% pay increase.
$59,511 $67,146 $69,261 $72,345 $82,375 $55,000 $60,000 $65,000 $70,000 $75,000 $80,000 $85,000 LPN/LVN Nursing
diploma Associatedegree BachelorsNursing NursingMasters
Average NAC Salary by Education
$26.91 $30.00 $30.66 $32.40 $35.33 $25.00 $27.00 $29.00 $31.00 $33.00 $35.00 $37.00 LPN/LVN Nursing
diploma Associatedegree BachelorsNursing NursingMasters
Hourly pay for NACs varies by rural vs. urban settings with urban nurses making $2.26 more per hour than rural NACs, who make $2.34 less than the national average.
Similarly, salaries for NACs vary by rural vs. urban settings with urban nurses making 5% more than rural NACs, who make 9% less than the national average.
Salaries and hourly pay did not vary significantly between for‐profit vs. non‐profit organizations. $62,856 $72,165 $58,000 $60,000 $62,000 $64,000 $66,000 $68,000 $70,000 $72,000 $74,000 Rural Urban
Average NAC Salary by Facility Setting
$27.69 $32.29 $25.00 $26.00 $27.00 $28.00 $29.00 $30.00 $31.00 $32.00 $33.00 Rural Urban
NAC
Challenges
and
Workload
Seventy‐six percent (76%) of NACs rate their workload as “Challenging” or "Very Challenging," with 67% reporting that they regularly have to work over time or extra hours in order to complete their job duties.
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
Workload Stress and burnout Gathering info from records Software issue Nursing staff turnover
Top NAC Challenges
Regularly Work OT/Extra hours Pulled to do other Duties Hired to do a Combo Hours Reduced
Sections
of
the
MDS
Completed
by
NACs
83% 79% 91% 16% 92% 95% 93% 88% 85% 18% 93% 93% 90% 92% 8% 22% 9% 23% 76% 88%Section Z: Assessment Administration Section X: Correction Request Section V: Care Area Assessment Summary Section Q: Participation in Assessment,Goal
Setting
Section P: Restraints Section O: SpecTreatments, Procedures,
Programs
Section N: Medications Section M: Skin conditions Section L: Oral/Dental Status Section K: Swallowing/Nutritional Status Section J: Health conditions Section I: Active Diagnoses Section H: Bladder and Bowel Section G: Functional Status Section F: Prefs for Customary Routine, Activities Section E: Behavior Section D: Mood Section C: Cognitive Patterns Section B: Hearing, Speech, and Vision Section A: Identification Information
NAC
Time
Study
From start to finish, NACs report that an average comprehensive assessment take four hours and 48 minutes to complete, with an average of 7.6 CAAs triggered per assessment.
Average
Minutes
Per Activity
OBRA Comprehensive Assessment 78
Care Plan 58
Care Area Assessment 152 Total Minutes Per MDS 288
Additionally, NACs report spending an average of 4.5 hours per week doing other MDS‐related activities.
Average
Minutes
Per Activity
Per
Week
Entry Tracking Record 8 Death in Facility Tracking Record 7 OBRA Quarterly Assessment 48
PPS only 50
SOT, EOT, and COT OMRA Assessments 33
Discharge Assessment 34
Summit/Review Validation Report 37 Care Planning Conference 55 Total Minutes Per Week 272
Although the type of meetings NACs attend varies, they spend an average of 10 hours a week in meetings.
NAC
Meeting
Attendance
PPS, Medicare, Triple check 84%
Stand up 78%
Quality improvement/quality assurance 73% Falls, Incidents, Safety 58%
Weight loss 38%
Behavior 29%
Wound care 29%
Restraint reduction 15%
About
AANAC
The American Association of Nurse Assessment Coordination (AANAC) is a non‐profit
membership organization dedicated to supporting long‐term care professionals provide quality care for nursing home residents across the nation. Representing more than 14,000 members, AANAC has earned the reputation as the premier resource and network for long‐term care professionals.
For more information about this report, please contact Deborah White at [email protected] or 1‐800‐768‐1880.
For information about AANAC membership, visit www.AANAC.org.
