Meet a Member: ‘Language is Learnable’

CDI Strategies - Volume 17, Issue 22

Margaret Layton, BSN, RN CCDS, is the CDI manager at Baptist Health in Jacksonville, Florida.

ACDIS: How long have you been in the CDI field, and what did you do before entering the field?
Layton:
I started in CDI in 2007. I had a varied nursing career and was a paramedic before becoming a nurse. As a nurse, I worked in the ER, PICU, OR, ICU, home health, QI/QA, and as a CVICU educator.

ACDIS: Why did you get into this line of work? 
Layton: At the time I was working in the OR nights and wanted a day job. They were making cuts on ancillary staff that assist the nurses and the nurses were picking up the work. When I learned what CDI specialists did, I thought, what a great way to make money for the hospital so people could keep their essential jobs.

ACDIS: What has been your biggest reward? 
Layton:
My biggest reward has been continuing to make a difference for patients by getting their charts complete. I have also been rewarded by educating many people into the role of a CDI specialist and watching them come to love it as I do.

ACDIS: How has the field changed since you began working in CDI?
Layton:
The biggest change I see is physician buy-in to answer queries and understand what we do. In the days of paper charts, many a query was ripped off the chart and thrown away because they thought of us as the ‘chart police’ telling them how to treat patients. I think now there is an overall understanding of our purpose in the revenue cycle and hospital welfare.

ACDIS: If you have attended, how many ACDIS conferences have you been to? What are your favorite memories?
Layton: I have been to two conferences and have enjoyed them immensely! I have brought back so much information to my team members. The speakers are all so knowledgeable and willing to share that knowledge. I used a lot of the information I got to form our metrics for team members, start the process of outpatient and quality work, and management tidbits. Some of my favorite memories involve meeting new people in my profession and getting information from them that has helped our day-to-day work.

ACDIS: What piece of advice would you offer to a new CDI specialist?
Layton:
Hang in there! You will get this. It is a lot of information that seems to be in a foreign language for nurses. I had no idea what a coder or DRG was…but language is learnable, and it is one of the most rewarding careers I have had.

ACDIS: If you could have any other job, what would it be? 
Layton:
I would love to work with animals. I originally went to college to be a veterinarian and help animals be adopted.

ACDIS: What was your first job?
Layton:
I worked at a movie theatre and the Gap clothing store. 

ACDIS: Can you tell us about a few of your favorite things?

  • Vacation spots: Anywhere discovering the United States and all it has to offer. I also took a great vacation with my daughter on a boat for five days to the Bahamas on a scuba trip and it was wonderful.
  • Hobbies: Knitting.
  • Non-alcoholic beverage: Tea.
  • Foods: Seafood.
  • Activities: Spending time with friends and family.

ACDIS: Tell us about your family and how you like to spend your time away from CDI.
Layton:
We gather for meals, play cards, and take adventures to different places. I also like to spend time with my dogs, they are older now, but we used to go to big dog parks, and I got a lot of joy out of watching them run and explore.

   

 

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