Nurse Coders

I would be interested in an answer to Marilyn's question also. I had great interest in coding, but it is waning, aftering hearing that at local institutions, RNs are not being utilized in coding type positions as regularly anymore? Thanks all!

lh---In my area, Clinical Document Specialists are very much in demand, especially if you have med/surg clinical experience snd inpatient coding experience. The online internship plus med/surg clinical experience might get you one of these jobs. Go to indeed.com and put in "coding". Also AAPC has a Clinical Document Specialist certification. RAC's in your area are also probably interested in RN's with coding. Good luck. Marylin

awsmom in Bakersfield, California said: I am new to researching coding and was not familiar with the term CPC. Nurses in Bakersfield start at about $23.00 hr day shift. LA County pays a little more. Then you get night shift differential and once you specialize (ICU,Surgery}.
Think twice before becoming an RN. There has never been a nursing shortage--just nurses fed up working under poor management and tired of hospitals BS. Look up how many RN's are in any given state and how many are actually working as an RN and you will see a large disparity. Rather than improving working conditions, employers would rather shout, "Nursing Shortage" in order to allow foreign nurses to be imported. The last study I read stated 50% of RN in the USA were foreign born. Foreign nurses generally do not rock the boat, are not assertive and will work under any conditions, which help keep wages lower. Nope, never been a nursing shortage, just a shortage of nurses working! There are HUNDREDS of new nursing graduates right now that are unable to get jobs, even in LTC. And hospitals are now laying off RN's due to low census. And you would fit right in--nurses are notorious for eating their young!

Th

Great answer...you are right...she meets the criteria..my husband says, thats why nurses dont progress professionally...very caddy profession compared to PA, Dentist, optometrists.

Melony in Palmdale, California said: My post specifically says I am a CPC medical coder. Please read before you respond to something. This is a nursing board, not a board to ask about becoming a coder. thanks.

Wow Melony, I am glad you are a coder because the way you talk you sure sound like one of those mean people who thought nursing would be the last resort. That is not what nursing is all about. You are mean. Don't become a nurse, please.

Melony in Palmdale, California said: My post specifically says I am a CPC medical coder. Please read before you respond to something. This is a nursing board, not a board to ask about becoming a coder. thanks.

I agree with the above post. Nursing is a passion to help others.

Is it reasonable to take a "Coding for Health Care Professionals" course designed for RNs....preparing to take the CPC exam without any Case Management/Utilization Review experience? In 31 years have worked just about every other area of Nursing. Coding seems like something I would like to do now. Thanks for any help/advice.

Who would you be taking this course from? Your certification needs to be from AAPC! The nurse-coder certification offered elsewhere is not recognized by the vast majority of employers according to numerous sources.

I'd be taking a 9 month on-line course from a technical college that includes a review for the CPC exam. Thanks for your reply. I don't (yet) know the difference between CPC and AAPC. Guess I need to do more research!

the course sounds okay. not a scam. CPC is the certification exam for outpatient coding. AAPC is the professional organization that supports outpatient coders and administers the exam. Does that help?

Hello Stacie, my company is currently recruiting for an RN with coding experience. We are in the DMV area and I was wondering if you found a position in coding yet, if you have found a position would you be able to refer someone who is an RN and has coding skills?

Stacie in Silver Spring, Maryland said: I am a RN/BSN and have also been researching becoming a RN Coder. I have been a nurse for 15 years and am already burned out and tired of nursing politics. I feel nurses are unappreciated and have to find another outlet. I just saw a job posting here in Atlanta for a RN Inpatient Coder starting at 80,000-150,000 per year. I just registered for a class to become CCS Certified (actually CCA Certified until I get coding experience). I spoke with the instructor and she stated that RN's will be considered golden in this field b/c we have medical terminology, anatomy, and disease process knowledge. She stated that RN's start out anywhere from 80,000 and up here in Atlanta. So basically to answer your question, I would get the RN degree. I hope this helped.

The salary survey for medical auditors is posted on the AAMAS website (AAMAS.ORG).
Check it out and compare with other nursing specialties, location, years of experience, education etc.
Join and network with fellow nurse auditors all over the country. Attend the national conference on Dallas Texas this April. Take audit courses for new and seasoned medical auditors.
You will learn a lot from experts invents field.

I'm looking for a remote clinical auditor position. I have ICD-9 coding experience with a ICU background. Pollickhemlock@aol.com

Melony in Palmdale, California said: My post specifically says I am a CPC medical coder. Please read before you respond to something. This is a nursing board, not a board to ask about becoming a coder. thanks.

Nurses that have opinions, like your opinion, have definately lowered the quality of the profession.

JLash in Lansing, Michigan said: Nurses that have opinions, like your opinion, have definately lowered the quality of the profession.

I am an RHIT, CCS-P, and I think nurses can make good coders, if they wrap their heads around the coding guidelines, rather than their clinical experience. Examples are knowing your disease processes and what symptoms are integral to diseases, as well as the rules for coding. Coding is a profession and it takes a lot of experience with coding/billing guidelines, not necessarily clinical experience. It is a lot of reading and deciphering physician documentation, then utilizing the endless coding regulations to derive at the correct code(s). It can be boring and is not at all the same as working on the floor, with patients and all the fulfillment that comes with helping people. Coding is usually not recognized as an 'important' role in healthcare and often the only recognition the coder gets is from within. Be careful before you switch careers, if something sounds too good to be true, it usually is!

I am an admissions advisor at an online school for CPCs. We are acredited by ABHES and AAPC and we have Diplomas or Associates in Health Science programs - all online. We help with financing and there is a LOT of support.

I was an LPN/EMT and a Nurse Recruiter before I started here and I love working with RNs who want to Code. You can email me ckreplick@ymail.com and I'll help any way I can!

Cristine

Cristine in New Port Richey, Florida said: I am an admissions advisor at an online school for CPCs. We are acredited by ABHES and AAPC and we have Diplomas or Associates in Health Science programs - all online. We help with financing and there is a LOT of support.

I was an LPN/EMT and a Nurse Recruiter before I started here and I love working with RNs who want to Code. You can email me ckreplick@ymail.com and I'll help any way I can!

Cristine

Dear Cristine,

I was looking into an LPN program down in SouthWest Florida. I'm not sure if I would be able to get the money though. Coding was also something that I was interested in. Could you tell me more about this school? Also, what is the starting and average salary of a CPC coder? I am presently a Dental assistant and was wondering if I should switch to Dental Admin. I would be taking a pay cut though. This is why I'm looking into either LPN or Coder. Thanks!!!

RN in Sumter, South Carolina said: Is it reasonable to take a "Coding for Health Care Professionals" course designed for RNs....preparing to take the CPC exam without any Case Management/Utilization Review experience? In 31 years have worked just about every other area of Nursing. Coding seems like something I would like to do now. Thanks for any help/advice.

I am an RN with many years experience working in the Emergency Department. I just completed AAPC's online CPC Course and passed their national exam. I will be working as A DRG Auditor. I did not have any UR experience. You can definitely do it.

Barbi9 in Minneapolis, Minnesota said: I am an RN with many years experience working in the Emergency Department. I just completed AAPC's online CPC Course and passed their national exam. I will be working as A DRG Auditor. I did not have any UR experience. You can definitely do it.

Will you be working in the hospital setting, or for an auditing co. doing reviews? I have UR experience, but am looking into getting CPC certification. I've been told that many RN's review the book, and take the exam without taking a formal course, due to the expense and time factor. Also, is the AAPC certification receommended over the AHIM certification? I think I'd like to do at-home coding in the future for a few physician groups, and would like to know if the CPC covers this area as well, or if you need to take the exam for physician practices. Thanks!

Laurall01 in White Lake, Michigan said: Stay a coder, good money, no back ache, good hours, no exposing yourself to unknown contagious diseases.

I agree also...I am looking into LNC right now and that is how I got here...doing a search for my potential business name! I have been an RN with a BSN for 19 years and have worked in hospital (bach ache and crappy hours yes....), public health...good hours pay not so good, I have also been a Community Health Nurse Educator and a Care Coordinator, Home Health also and pas 5 years Ambulatory IV clinic setting and right now I am recovering from neck surgery which was aggravated from bending over for patients in recliners to put IVs in, access ports, dressing changes...whatever...all bending over....Nursing eats is young and if they are bringing in RNs from other countries we as RNs working in direct patient may as well hang it up! I live in Missouri and your CPC or coder (sorry if I have the title wrong) wages of almost $29/hr are higher than I make with 19 years as RN ...in fact I am at my ceiling at the hospital I work at....Interesting info on here and thanks to all persons who posted above me.....very helpful.

fooledonce in South Gate, California said: Hello all,

Please avoid RN-Coder boot camp. Very unprofessional outfit-basically a scam. I showed up to their week long "live" seminar (this is an addition to their online study)and no one was there. I was not informed that it was cancelled and my calls and emails were not returned. You also have to join(pay another fee) their unrecognized association in order to take their unrecognized RN-C credential. Should have followed my instincts. Now I will study for the CCS through AHIMA.

I, too, took this class from RN-Coder Boot Camp. This was a huge scam. There were 15 of us in the class and none of us felt we got anything from this class. The instructor was unprofessional, brought her kid to the class who sat behind me giggling and on his computer the entire week. The tests and literature was outdated and there were so many errors on the tests, that they were almost impossible to take. BIG SCAM!! The instructor talked about being a midwife and her "clinic". AVOID THEM AT ALL COSTS.

Thank you for your comments, I was going to take the RN-Coder class but after reading your comments I have decided to do more research and probably use AHIMA. I too am a nurse with over 20 years experience and have decided to join the coding brigade, makes sense with all the changes coming up in 2013!

Are the changes directly related to all of the changes in Healthcare, or is this just a new coding system?

Melony in Palmdale, California said: My post specifically says I am a CPC medical coder. Please read before you respond to something. This is a nursing board, not a board to ask about becoming a coder. thanks.

And you are a cranky CPC coder, too!

awsmom in Bakersfield, California said: I am new to researching coding and was not familiar with the term CPC. Nurses in Bakersfield start at about $23.00 hr day shift. LA County pays a little more. Then you get night shift differential and once you specialize (ICU,Surgery}.
Think twice before becoming an RN. There has never been a nursing shortage--just nurses fed up working under poor management and tired of hospitals BS. Look up how many RN's are in any given state and how many are actually working as an RN and you will see a large disparity. Rather than improving working conditions, employers would rather shout, "Nursing Shortage" in order to allow foreign nurses to be imported. The last study I read stated 50% of RN in the USA were foreign born. Foreign nurses generally do not rock the boat, are not assertive and will work under any conditions, which help keep wages lower. Nope, never been a nursing shortage, just a shortage of nurses working! There are HUNDREDS of new nursing graduates right now that are unable to get jobs, even in LTC. And hospitals are now laying off RN's due to low census. And you would fit right in--nurses are notorious for eating their young!

Th

Amen to that! I know so many, many people who are (or were) nurses but just could not continue being abused in the job. Hospitals balance their budgets on nurses' backs and will continue to do so until we unite and say 'no more'.

Hey Melony~ I have my BA IN BS - well it seems to me. I have a BA in Biology and and a minor in English Literature as well!! I love research of any kind- the main research Ive been into is on the movement of herpes (snakes,amphibians,reptiles and such) throughout the Carolina Bays at Savannah River Site but that ended as soon as I grad.- in 2004 !~ And I DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH MYSELF!!! I want to make decent money- more than 10.00 an hour! I will take any class you suggest! if codings the future then Im all for it!
I just want to make the right next move= I <3 School! I love learning- I know its been years since Ive graduated but I will go back! Any advice would be greatly appreciated~and Im all ears~! I want to be a nurse but it would prob take forever- I wanna make a smart next move= anything is better than sitting on my butt just wondering what to do next! Please = any words of wisdom or any words at all would be are will be greatly appreciated! I just DONT WANT TO TEACH BIOLOGY= now English Lit I rock at but THAT IS NOT THE POINT~ WHAT DO U THINK I SHOULD DO? HELP
Sincerely, A Newby

I do apologize for my ADHD - it drives me nuts! Another reason I love research! I can get all OCD and obsessed with it! Add and Adhd and ocd all hold hands~ thats why they are all misdiagnosed - (its a messed up world)= I may sound messed up but im not Im just desperate to find my path in this world where I can make a difference and actually use my freaking degree! (I should have gone to a tech school- then I would have come out with a skill and a freaking job) UGH! makes me sick sometimes....
PLEASE HELP~~~~ IF YOU CAN~ PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE Thank you for your time.

ANEWBY- in Aiken, South Carolina said: Hey Melony~ I have my BA IN BS - well it seems to me. I have a BA in Biology and and a minor in English Literature as well!! I love research of any kind- the main research Ive been into is on the movement of herpes (snakes,amphibians,reptiles and such) throughout the Carolina Bays at Savannah River Site but that ended as soon as I grad.- in 2004 !~ And I DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH MYSELF!!! I want to make decent money- more than 10.00 an hour! I will take any class you suggest! if codings the future then Im all for it!
I just want to make the right next move= I <3 School! I love learning- I know its been years since Ive graduated but I will go back! Any advice would be greatly appreciated~and Im all ears~! I want to be a nurse but it would prob take forever- I wanna make a smart next move= anything is better than sitting on my butt just wondering what to do next! Please = any words of wisdom or any words at all would be are will be greatly appreciated! I just DONT WANT TO TEACH BIOLOGY= now English Lit I rock at but THAT IS NOT THE POINT~ WHAT DO U THINK I SHOULD DO? HELP
Sincerely, A Newby

I do apologize for my ADHD - it drives me nuts! Another reason I love research! I can get all OCD and obsessed with it! Add and Adhd and ocd all hold hands~ thats why they are all misdiagnosed - (its a messed up world)= I may sound messed up but im not Im just desperate to find my path in this world where I can make a difference and actually use my freaking degree! (I should have gone to a tech school- then I would have come out with a skill and a freaking job) UGH! makes me sick sometimes....
PLst haveEASE HELP~~~~ IF YOU CAN~ PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE Thank you for your time.

hey may
Can't you become a CRA - they make tons of money! and you must have research background to get in. I've tried many times but don't have the research background.

Thank you for replying - Im looking into that now and maybe - hopefully it will be what Ive been looking for. Thanks again. All I need is freaking just a lil guidance in the right direction- and this could be it and if it is - omg you will def be hearing from me- :) IM DOING SOME RESEARCH NOW BY GOLLY! ha toodles

Melony in Palmdale, California said: My post specifically says I am a CPC medical coder. Please read before you respond to something. This is a nursing board, not a board to ask about becoming a coder. thanks.

Yes Melony, this is a nursing board, not for people wanting to have their hand held and told that they should be a nurse.
As rude and ignorant as you are in ur responses on here, do not become a nurse. We don't want you!
Also, you got all up in a frenzy over someone asking about coding and you chastised them saying this wasn't the board for them to use. In all honesty, this isn't the board for you to ask about nursing. There are student boards-go there and ask. Nursing doesn't need your rudeness in our profession.

What is the difference between nurse auditor and medical coder? What qualities do nurses have to have to become a nurse auditor? Fluent in speaking and writing? strong clinical skills?
Also other posters have posted about medical coding, but how is a job prospect of medical coders? I heard that it is very difficult to find jobs unless they have at least 2 years of expereience. I also heard there are lot of risks involved with this job, for example, if a coder does not code correctly the facility can get into lot of trouble for fraud. Did anybody had this kind of problem while working as a coder?

awsmom in Bakersfield, California said: Where do you work? Are you a certified coder? I live in Tehachapi and would like to become a coder.

I an an RN and they call us clinical documentation specialist, I started at 82,000. My background is 20 yr nursing exp.

msrn in Texas said: What is the difference between nurse auditor and medical coder? What qualities do nurses have to have to become a nurse auditor? Fluent in speaking and writing? strong clinical skills?
Also other posters have posted about medical coding, but how is a job prospect of medical coders? I heard that it is very difficult to find jobs unless they have at least 2 years of expereience. I also heard there are lot of risks involved with this job, for example, if a coder does not code correctly the facility can get into lot of trouble for fraud . Did anybody had this kind of problem while working as a coder?

Knowledge of medical necessity review, with Interqual and/or Milliman experience. There are other types of reviews however, dep on the insurance co or hospital you're doing the review for.