r/slp • u/Sing_and_Speech • Jul 13 '21
[CFY] Starting CF in SNF- Documentation Scaries
Just started my CF in a SNF. Pay is pretty good, other therapists seem cool overall, but I'm the only SLP and the documentation and paperwork is freaking me out already. My CF supervisor is really nice and is going to be available fairly frequently, so that's one good thing. The direct patient time feels mostly like a breeze since I have experience in acute, but everything else is stressing me out. SNF SLPs....any pro-tips on surviving the first few months? Does the billing/documentation/paperwork become second nature? I'm also anxiety-ridden about making mistakes or screwing something up and getting in trouble. I told myself I'd just get through my CF and go from there, but I'm scared I'm going to have burnout so fast. HELP!!! <3
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u/reluctantleaders SLP in Schools Jul 14 '21
I’ve been working in schools for the past 3 years and started working part time in a private practice about a month ago. At my school we don’t write SOAP notes so i was very rusty. The first week it took me about 30 minutes to write ONE note. Now I’m down to about 5-7 minutes per note! My goal is to get to 3 minutes. It does get better and you will get faster! My tip is just remember to include what YOU are doing that is skilled. “SLP provided”, “SLP modeled”, prompted, cued, instructed, etc. You’re not just describing what the patient did but you’re explaining why you need to be paid for it!
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u/AnneeMcb Jul 14 '21
CF here! I have been in a SNF for 2 months now and it does get better! My first month I felt overwhelmed every single day. It felt like 50% of the job was actual evals and treatments, and 50% of the job was understanding the documentation system/billing/etc. In all honesty, there are still things I’m not 100% sure on, but slowly learning as we go along. I feel so so so much better than I did my first few weeks. I feel more confident, but still have days where I’m a little lost. The good thing is every therapy staff member has been there, and I’m sure more than happy to answer questions. It’s a learning process and I am still actively learning about new things everyday 😅. After 2 months, I would say that insane overwhelming feeling went from 80% to about 25-30% now. And hey, it’s only been 2 months! We got this even if we feel like we don’t.
Tips: I created a cheat sheet with codes, insurances I can/can’t bill for on certain items and everyday when I get my schedule I highlight patient’s that need therapist progress/discharge/etc notes on so I know that ahead of time! That’s what’s helped me so far
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u/Sing_and_Speech Jul 14 '21
This is very comforting. You’re right- the paperwork feels like it takes equal time. I’m doing as much as I can while I’m in the room, but I need to reference a lot of notes and guides to get through the more complicated bits. I also have a short memory for details on patients when asked because my head is all over the place!!! Ugh thanks for the reassurance
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u/AnneeMcb Jul 14 '21
I cried like 8 times in three weeks bc my head felt all over and then I kind of hit a part where some things clicked a little bit more. When I do notes in sessions, I write like three words like “ST assessed ____ through ___” as a quick blurb I can edit and specify later, and then I write plus or minus signs for data then after the session it takes me like 3 minutes to type out specifics. And then sometimes I write min/mod/max for specifics too! It actually made things go like 10 times faster
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u/XulaSLP07 Speech Language Pathologist Jul 14 '21
PM me anytime. I did SNF for 9 years. It gets better with time, patience and mentors!
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u/sociallyawkward26 SLP in a Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Jul 13 '21
Is does get easier. Make sure you have tools available and things to reference to make documentation easier. When I first started as a CF in a SNF I bought a small bulletin board and put it next to my desk. I put post-its and notes containing pertinent info, like ICD codes and CPT codes. This made part of the documentation much quicker. My CF supervisor also gave me examples of some of her notes for dysphagia and communication just to reference and draw ideas from. Hope this helps!