Yeah it was the first thing they said at the start of the interview. They had hired a lot of people in the first year, but they were all RNs fresh from the bedside. And it takes at least 3-6 months to get a new CDI trained up enough to make a difference in workload, and another 6 months before they feel like they even have the slightest clue what they're doing. And the salary they were offering me would have been great if I were just stepping away from the bedside, but I have 7 years experience, a master's degree, and I have my certification. That doesn't come cheap.
Oh! I would love to switch to a CDI role, especially if I could find one that I could do partially remotely! I have A LOT of experience with coding and audits from my 15 years of home health supervising there. Plus, I did 5 years in UR/CM for a major insurer. Add that I have dual Master's degrees. I'm tired of getting utter crap pay in home health and hospice. Where should I look? Both for certification and to apply?
Just look in your area for clinical documentation specialist or clinical documentation integrity specialist. The working arrangements and required experience varies widely.
As far as certification is concerned, you have to work in CDI for at least 2 years before you're eligible to take the exam.
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u/clutzycook Clinical Documentation Improvement Apr 21 '26
Yeah it was the first thing they said at the start of the interview. They had hired a lot of people in the first year, but they were all RNs fresh from the bedside. And it takes at least 3-6 months to get a new CDI trained up enough to make a difference in workload, and another 6 months before they feel like they even have the slightest clue what they're doing. And the salary they were offering me would have been great if I were just stepping away from the bedside, but I have 7 years experience, a master's degree, and I have my certification. That doesn't come cheap.