Journal excerpt: The pains and rewards of a new CDI position

Editor’s note: This article, which was authored by ACDIS Editor Jess Fluegel, is an excerpt from the September/October 2024 edition of the CDI Journal, which will be published for member access at the beginning of September 2024. Interested in accessing more industry-leading articles and advice? Become an ACDIS member! ACDIS members are provided endless opportunities for networking, engagement, and education. By becoming a member, you will also save on select events, CDI Boot Camps, CCDS/CCDS-O certification costs, and more. Becoming part of ACDIS isn’t simply about being part of a professional organization par excellence, it’s about being part of a trusted community. Click here to join today!

There’s no denying that delving into the CDI profession is a stretch on its own. There is no perfect background to prepare you beforehand for everything you’ll need to do in CDI, whether you come from a clinical background, HIM background, or elsewhere. 

For Marsha Cantu, MSN, RN, CCDS, CDI second-level reviewer at JPS Health Network in Fort Worth, Texas, it’d been many years since starting as a frontline reviewer when she decided to try something new. “It's really hard to step out of your comfort zone, especially with CDI because it's always as clear as mud,” she says. “And sometimes those difference in opinions of how you should look at a chart can make you more hesitant to move on, try something new, or move up that ladder.”

Up to a certain point, however, Cantu realized she needed something new and more challenging to keep herself engaged. Despite the unknowns that would arise with a new position, she felt she’d reached her peak in her current arena and was looking for change.

“Really, I wish I would have known I could do it sooner,” she explains, “because, I have to admit, it was rather terrifying at first. But after a few months at a new position and starting to settle in, I thought, ‘I wish I would have done this sooner. I'm really enjoying it and I'm growing and learning.’ My advice: Don't wait till you're bored.”

While sometimes change involves one big stretch after a long period of routine, sometimes it can look like a slower, more gradual reach to increase your strength and flexibility. Janell Murray, BSN, RN, CCDS, CDI educator at Banner Health in Indiana, was feeling unchallenged and stuck in routine after enough time in her first role, and knew she was ready to do more. At first, she became more involved in the profession by looking into various content from subject matter experts, listening to any free CDI webinar she could find in the background, and trying to stay in the know about what the forecast was for CDI. She got involved in her local chapter, in ACDIS nationally, and on social media platforms to better network in the profession. Eventually, she felt ready for the transition to a new position, first in consulting work and then as a CDI educator.

“Learning is a never-ending process, whether in a second-level or a leadership position, and I’d encourage everyone to try stretching themselves,” Murray says. “If you don’t end up liking it, you can always take a different role or return to something more comfortable.”

Of course, even in the standard reviewing role, many CDI professionals find themselves asked to take on new responsibilities and positions whether they are looking for them or not. For Ruiz, her love of learning ended up being a catalyst—simply asking her leader if he needed help with anything quickly transitioned into her taking on the unofficial role of helping with audits.

“After that, I took a deeper dive and did some research and kind of tweaked what they were already doing, improving on that,” Ruiz says. “And then he started asking, ‘Hey, can you audit this person? Can you audit that person?’ ”

If you are hoping to grow within your role first, Ruiz recommends starting with an attitude of helpfulness. “Usually, leaders are more than happy to take some of the load off and give you some so that you can learn,” she says. “I really tried to take advantage whenever I could to learn more and provide more help in whatever way I could.”