MDS Alert

Question: One of our residents uses a nebulizer on her own. Does this count toward respiratory therapy minutes?

Washington, D.C. Subscriber

Answer: Don’t record those minutes as respiratory therapy on the MDS, the RAI Manual says on page O-18.

“Only minutes that the respiratory therapist or respiratory nurse spends with the resident shall be recorded on the MDS. This time includes resident evaluation/assessment, treatment administration and monitoring, and setup and removal of treatment equipment. Time that a resident self-administers a nebulizer treatment without supervision of the respiratory therapist or respiratory nurse is not included in the minutes recorded on the MDS. Do not include administration of metered-dose and/or dry powder inhalers in respiratory minutes,” the RAI Manual says.