Nurse assessment coordinators (NACs) are required to understand the extensive and complex regulatory body surrounding the RAI/MDS process and regulations are always changing. Coding correctly and having keen assessment skills are also very important parts of a NAC’s job, which lead to the best care possible for residents and accurate Medicare reimbursement for your facility.
All of this knowledge and the skills to execute daily tasks for NACs is a lot to grasp, and if you want to thrive as a NAC in today’s long-term care profession, have the respect of your employer, and provide the best care for our elders, earning your professional certification is a must.
Regarding how the Resident Assessment Coordinator—Certified (RAC-CT®) certification from AANAC has helped her career, Charity L. states, “I would highly recommend that you go on to do the certification, as those courses have fine-tuned my ability to do the MDS correctly.”
Certification is certainly not an easy path, and the courses will test you extensively in all that you need to know. However, it is the most rewarding moment to finally say, “I am now a certified nurse assessment coordinator!” It is a moment of pride and of knowing that you have reached a milestone in your career. You have achieved a level of knowledge and expertise in the RAI process that is nationally recognized as top-quality and the gold standard, so you can have the confidence to move through your career and take a leadership role in resident care.
Employers like Carolyn R. mentioned what she expects from her staff who take the RAC-CT, “The standardized MDS certification curriculum is excellent, so I know that when a member of my staff receives their certification through AANAC, they have gained a strong foundation in MDS, LTC documentation standards, and Quality Indicators.”
Earning your RAC-CT certification is about testing your knowledge in a career that you love, ensuring that you know the best practices and expectations for your field, affirming to yourself and your employer that you have the expertise to lead resident care forward, and gaining the ability to create the best future possible for our elders. What’s more important than that?
Approximately 10,700 nurses currently hold a RAC-CT credential, and you could be one of them. Do you know if RAC-CT certification is right for you? Find out where you are on your MDS career path.