MDS Coordinator (RN Preferred)

Palmtree Recruiters

Tacoma, Washington

Staffing partner

You'll own the MDS assessments, train nursing staff on them, and audit them for PDPM reimbursement.

Eligibility: Long-term CareClinical DocumentationUtilization Review

Posted Jun 26

Unit and setting: Long Term Care
License: RN license Current and unencumbered Registered Nurse (RN) license preferred in the State of Washington.current, unencumbered Washington RN license
Term: Permanent

Do you qualify?

Experience: about one month of MDS experience The successful candidate will have approximately one month of experience in an MDS role
Experience: MDS completion and submission expertise Demonstrated expertise in MDS assessment completion, submission, and understanding of its impact on resident care and facility reimbursement.
Also asks: RUGs to PDPM knowledge possess a strong understanding of RUGs to PDPM methodologies
Also asks: analytical, problem-solving, detail-focused Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a keen eye for detail.
Also asks: strong communication; can train nursing staff Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to effectively train and educate nursing staff.
Also asks: EHR and MDS software proficiency Proficient in electronic health records (EHR) and MDS software.
Also asks: works within an interdisciplinary team Ability to work collaboratively within an interdisciplinary team.
Also asks: organization and time management Exceptional organizational and time management skills.

Preferred

License: current, unencumbered Washington RN license Current and unencumbered Registered Nurse (RN) license preferred in the State of Washington. Check your license
Also asks: reimbursement specialization preferably with a specialization in reimbursement

What it pays

Against similar roles: Top of Tacoma staff RN payTacoma staff RN postings that state pay run $86k/yr to $101k/yr, the middle half $95k/yr to $100k/yr, across 70 postings.

The role and schedule

Not in this role: Charge shifts
Day to day: nursing staff training on MDS documentation Provide ongoing training and education to nursing staff regarding MDS documentation requirements
Day to day: regular audits of MDS documentation Conduct regular audits of MDS documentation to ensure compliance and identify areas for improvement.
Day to day: care plan development and revision from MDS assessments Participate in the development and revision of comprehensive resident care plans based on MDS assessments.
Day to day: interdisciplinary team meetings Actively participate in interdisciplinary team meetings, contributing to care planning and problem-solving.
Day to day: index growth and resident classification with the team Actively collaborate with the interdisciplinary team to identify opportunities for accurate resident classification and support optimal index growth.
Day to day: keeping MDS areas deficiency-free ensuring the facility remains deficiency-free in MDS-related areas
Details: 150-bed long-term care facility Facility Type: Long-Term Care (150 Beds)

The workplace

Palmtree Recruiters

Staffing partner

Palmtree Recruiters is a healthcare recruiting agency operating in the Tacoma, Washington area. The recruiter appears to focus on clinical and regulatory nursing roles within the long-term care sector. The MDS Coordinator position involves ensuring accurate MDS assessments, driving PDPM-based…

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MDS Coordinator position at a Long-Term Care facility (150 Beds) in Tacoma, Washington. The role involves ensuring timely and accurate completion of MDS assessments, driving reimbursement optimization through PDPM methodologies, collaborating with interdisciplinary teams for index growth, providing training to nursing staff on MDS documentation, participating in care planning, maintaining regulatory compliance, and conducting quality assurance audits of MDS documentation.

What's around it?

In Tacoma, WA

Tacoma, WAFrom Census ACS 2024.

Living costs about 11% above the US average

Median rent: $1,676/mo
Household income: $85,884/yr, all local households, not nurse pay

Life in Tacoma, WA

NeighborhoodsNorth Tacoma is the walkable, higher-end choice: Proctor District for shops and restaurants, Stadium District for historic homes and city views, and Old Town for waterfront charm. The North End and West End skew more family-suburban—North End median homes around $466,000 with stronger school stats; West End mixes urban-suburban life with beaches; Northeast Tacoma is suburban with outdoor access (median around $405,000). Central Tacoma along 6th Avenue is the practical in-town base for commuters, with Craftsman homes and a median around $294,000 in one 2025–26 snapshot, while South Tacoma and Eastside are the affordable and first-time-buyer tiers, with more lot size in the south and more block-to-block variability on the Eastside. Nearby Ruston, University Place, Fircrest, Gig Harbor, and Steilacoom come up constantly as alternatives for people who work in Tacoma but want waterfront or quieter suburban streets.

North Tacoma is the walkable, higher-end choice: Proctor District for shops and restaurants, Stadium District for historic homes and city views, and Old Town for waterfront charm. The North End and West End skew more family-suburban—North End median homes around $466,000 with stronger school stats; West End mixes urban-suburban life with beaches; Northeast Tacoma is suburban with outdoor access (median around $405,000).

Central Tacoma along 6th Avenue is the practical in-town base for commuters, with Craftsman homes and a median around $294,000 in one 2025–26 snapshot, while South Tacoma and Eastside are the affordable and first-time-buyer tiers, with more lot size in the south and more block-to-block variability on the Eastside. Nearby Ruston, University Place, Fircrest, Gig Harbor, and Steilacoom come up constantly as alternatives for people who work in Tacoma but want waterfront or quieter suburban streets.

Sources

As of Sep 11, 2026Source 1: aaronthomashometeam.com Source 2: extraspace.com Source 3: reddit.com Source 4: facebook.com Source 5: youtube.com

Getting aroundTacoma sits about 32 miles southwest of Seattle on I-5, with an average Seattle commute cited at 45 minutes and roughly an hour in non-peak traffic. Inside the city, Pierce Transit buses and the T Line light rail run through downtown, and Central Tacoma is the neighborhood most often described as convenient to both north and south plus major roads. Joint Base Lewis-McChord anchors a huge share of Pierce County jobs, and two major health systems employ thousands locally, so many hospital workers live in-city rather than reverse-commuting north. These sources do not spell out drive times or parking at specific hospital campuses.

Tacoma sits about 32 miles southwest of Seattle on I-5, with an average Seattle commute cited at 45 minutes and roughly an hour in non-peak traffic. Inside the city, Pierce Transit buses and the T Line light rail run through downtown, and Central Tacoma is the neighborhood most often described as convenient to both north and south plus major roads.

Joint Base Lewis-McChord anchors a huge share of Pierce County jobs, and two major health systems employ thousands locally, so many hospital workers live in-city rather than reverse-commuting north. These sources do not spell out drive times or parking at specific hospital campuses.

Sources

As of Sep 11, 2026Source 1: themovegenie.com Source 2: apartmentguide.com Source 3: keyrentertacoma.com Source 4: emeraldpalate.com Source 5: aaronthomashometeam.com Source 6: youtube.com

OutdoorsPoint Defiance Park is the outdoor anchor: 760 acres of old-growth forest, Japanese and rose gardens, Owen Beach for kayaks and picnics, plus a zoo and aquarium, often ranked among the largest urban parks in the country. Ruston Way is the paved promenade along Commencement Bay with Mount Rainier views on clear days; Wright Park, Tacoma Nature Center, Fireman’s Park, Fort Steilacoom Park, Chambers Creek Regional Park, Chambers Bay, and Kopachuck State Park’s saltwater beach fill out weekends. Tacoma claims more than 70 parks and 46 miles of trails, with a scenic drive or hike around Mount Rainier as the standard longer outing.

Point Defiance Park is the outdoor anchor: 760 acres of old-growth forest, Japanese and rose gardens, Owen Beach for kayaks and picnics, plus a zoo and aquarium, often ranked among the largest urban parks in the country. Ruston Way is the paved promenade along Commencement Bay with Mount Rainier views on clear days; Wright Park, Tacoma Nature Center, Fireman’s Park, Fort Steilacoom Park, Chambers Creek Regional Park, Chambers Bay, and Kopachuck State Park’s saltwater beach fill out weekends.

Tacoma claims more than 70 parks and 46 miles of trails, with a scenic drive or hike around Mount Rainier as the standard longer outing.

Sources

As of Sep 11, 2026Source 1: tacomaconventioncenter.org Source 2: keyrentertacoma.com Source 3: visitpiercecounty.com Source 4: extraspace.com Source 5: apartmentguide.com Source 6: emeraldpalate.com Source 7: themovegenie.com

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Living in Tacoma

Tacoma is where many healthcare workers land when Seattle prices push them south: about 223,000 people, 32 miles down I-5, no state income tax, two large health systems, and a mid-2026 Zillow home-value index around $496,000. The distinct mix is Point Defiance’s 760 acres of old-growth and Owen Beach, the Chihuly Bridge and Museum of Glass, the T Line through downtown, and streets that swing from walkable Proctor and Stadium to South Tacoma and Eastside starter prices. Lifestyle-minded nurses usually look at North Tacoma, the North End, West End, or nearby Ruston and University Place; tighter $80k–$150k budgets more often land in Central Tacoma along 6th Avenue or farther south. Tradeoffs are real: living costs still run well above the national average—housing, groceries, transportation, and healthcare especially—Eastside quality varies block to block, and the old Grit City industrial edge has not fully vanished. Weekends mean Ruston Way, the farmers market, Pantages shows, and a Rainier view on one of about 141 sunny days a year.

AI area guide

Sources

As of 2026Source 1: themovegenie.com Source 2: aaronthomashometeam.com Source 3: extraspace.com Source 4: tacomaconventioncenter.org Source 5: apartmentguide.com Source 6: reddit.com Source 7: visitpiercecounty.com

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Original listing

What's around it?

Tacoma, WAiFrom Census ACS 2024.

Life in Tacoma, WA

Moving for this role?

Nurses on this role

Nurses on this role

Life in Tacoma, WA

Moving for this role?

Nurses on this role

Tacoma, WAFrom Census ACS 2024.