Clinical documentation improvement specialist vs nurse

The differences between clinical documentation improvement specialists and nurses can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a clinical documentation improvement specialist, becoming a nurse takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a clinical documentation improvement specialist has an average salary of $64,797, which is higher than the $57,564 average annual salary of a nurse.

The top three skills for a clinical documentation improvement specialist include patients, patient care and clinical documentation improvement. The most important skills for a nurse are patients, home health, and CPR.

Clinical documentation improvement specialist vs nurse overview

	Clinical Documentation Improvement Specialist	Nurse
Yearly salary	$64,797	$57,564
Hourly rate	$31.15	$27.68
Growth rate	11%	6%
Number of jobs	66,130	696,124
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 44%	Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Average age	45	44
Years of experience	12	2

What does a clinical documentation improvement specialist do?

Clinical documentation improvement specialists are professionals who are involved in the clinical documentation improvement (CDI) program that incorporates the terminology needed to translate a patient's condition into precise codes. These specialists must investigate complex healthcare reimbursement information to ensure that appropriate documentation is provided for proper patient care. They must collaborate with physicians and medical record coding staff so that they facilitate the clinical documentation improvement process. Clinical documentation improvement specialists must also train members of the patient care team about the documentation guidelines for medical records.

What does a nurse do?

Nurses are medical professionals assigned to a specific department in the hospital and provide their trusted department services. Nurses are in charge of taking patients' medical histories, getting vital signs, preparing patients for checkups or procedures, explaining upcoming practices, answering any questions, and communicating any concerns to the assigned doctor. Nurses should ensure that patients follow the medical advice given to them. They also assist patients in completing administrative requirements, such as filling out forms, validating details, and endorsing payments.

Clinical documentation improvement specialist vs nurse salary

Clinical documentation improvement specialists and nurses have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Clinical Documentation Improvement Specialist	Nurse
Average salary	$64,797	$57,564
Salary range	Between $47,000 And $87,000	Between $38,000 And $86,000
Highest paying City	Madera, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	Nuance Communications	Conviva
Best paying industry	Health Care	Government

Differences between clinical documentation improvement specialist and nurse education

There are a few differences between a clinical documentation improvement specialist and a nurse in terms of educational background:

	Clinical Documentation Improvement Specialist	Nurse
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 44%	Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Most common major	Nursing	Nursing
Most common college	Duke University	Duke University

Clinical documentation improvement specialist vs nurse demographics

Here are the differences between clinical documentation improvement specialists' and nurses' demographics:

	Clinical Documentation Improvement Specialist	Nurse
Average age	45	44
Gender ratio	Male, 15.2% Female, 84.8%	Male, 14.0% Female, 86.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 15.7% Asian, 8.9% White, 60.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3%	Black or African American, 11.5% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between clinical documentation improvement specialist and nurse duties and responsibilities

Clinical documentation improvement specialist example responsibilities.

Create documentation education classes to general surgery residents, increasing the leveling of reporting which lead to increase revenues.
Interact directly with physicians to query for more specific documentation and to provide documentation guidelines from ICD-9 and ICD-10 standards.
Prepare, maintain and update clinical documentation ensuring completeness and accuracy of services provide to the patients.
Assign the correct POA status.
Participate in the initiation of the CDIS program.
Train new employees on how to utilize radiology information systems.

Nurse example responsibilities.

Monitor patients' status during surgery (circulate in operating room) and manage patients in PACU.
Manage high-acuity cardiac/pulmonary and psychiatric patients
Monitor patients for cardiac rhythm changes and implement medication according to ACLS guidelines.
Educate patients and families on diseases processes, medications, wind care, and iv infusion.
Provide care for patients on medical/surgical, transplant, cardiac, orthopedic, postpartum, neonatal ICU, and psychiatric units
Demonstrate competence in CPR and other medical emergency situations.

Clinical documentation improvement specialist vs nurse skills

Common clinical documentation improvement specialist skills

Patients, 18%
Patient Care, 13%
Clinical Documentation Improvement, 12%
CCDS, 8%
ICD-10, 7%
CCS, 6%

Common nurse skills

Patients, 21%
Home Health, 7%
CPR, 6%
BLS, 6%
Acute Care, 5%
Acls, 4%

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Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Clinical Documentation Improvement Specialist
Clinical Documentation Improvement Specialist vs Nurse

Updated January 8, 2025

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