I am thinking about obtaining my MSN in Case Management. Is it worth it? Anyone have theirs and know of a good accredited online program? I don't have case manager experience but am wanting to branch out in the field. I only have 5 years of ICU experince.

Thanks so much for any advice!

I'm considering doing this program Online Masters in Nursing | Online Nursing Master Degree | Loyola University New Orleans Online It's through Loyola University in New Orleans and it's online. It is a MSN in Health Care Systems Management. It prepares nurses for career paths in case management, etc. It's NLN accredited. I've been thinking about it for awhile.

Hope this helps. Good luck.

Christy

Even if you do, most case management jobs will require or very strongly prefer the CCM credential, and you need a minimum of two years in a case management job under another CCM for that. If you are a hospital nurse now your "case management" department may or may not be doing case management, which by definition is a lot more than discharge planning. Discharge planners' job descriptions do not meet the criteria for sitting the CCM exam. Look into all of that before you decide on CM. Here's the link to the Case Management Society of America where you can get a lot more information.

Case Management Society of America > Home

Green Tea, I have read some of your posts, where you warn that Discharge Planners in the hospital setting are not exactly Case Managers in many settings. However, the definition for Case Manager according to the CMSA includes the activities of a Discharge Planner. In order to discharge plan effectively in the hospital setting, one must do the following in my experience: execute "a collaborative process of assessment, planning, facilitation, care coordination, evaluation, and advocacy for options and services to meet an individual’s and family’s comprehensive health needs through communication and available resources to promote quality, cost-effective outcomes."

Maybe a long long time ago this was not the case and Discharge Planners in the hospital setting just followed orders to discharge patients, found equipment or placement for patients, then stared at the wall the rest of his/her shift? Today's hospital Case Managers are expected to do all of the above, to include the ones that perform only Discharge Planning (this means excluding performing the tasks of UR, but not excluding the tasks that encompasses the above definition of Case Management). Therefore, I doubt that any one will have trouble starting his/her Case Management career in the hospital setting for 1-2 years and not be allowed to sit for the CCM exam.

In fact, all the career hospital Case Managers (Discharge Planners only, UR Nurses only, and those who do both D/C Planning and UR) who I know that started his/her career in the hospital setting were allowed to sit for the CCM exam after 1-2 years.

Hospital case management generally includes responsibility for discharge planning, but discharge planning doesn't always include responsibility for case management. The individual job description rules, now and "a long long time ago." I stand by my assertion that discharge planning does not meet the criteria for eligibility to sit for the CCM case management exam.

From the CCMC: CCMC opens door for case manager certification to more allied health professionals - Changes to education and experience requirements reflect new workforce needs in health care | CCMC

The Commission’s Executive Board carefully weighed these environmental factors as it changed qualification and experience eligibility criteria for case managers to sit for the exam. Revised qualification criteria are more inclusive of the allied health disciplines, such as social work, pharmacy or population health. The new education requirements open eligibility to those with a four-year degree in a health or human services area; candidates may also qualify to sit for the exam if they hold appropriate licensure or certification in a health or human services discipline.

New employment criteria underscore the focus on boots-on-the-ground experience.

Experience must focus primarily on case

management practice. The revised criteria spell out that case managers must perform the core

components of case management (psychosocial aspects, health care reimbursement, rehabilitation,

health care management and delivery, principles of practice, and case management concepts). Within

each core component, case managers must perform all the essential activities with direct client contact

(assess, plan, implement, coordinate, monitor, evaluate, measure outcomes). Services must be provided

across the care continuum, and the case manager must be responsible for interacting with others in the

system.

Significantly, this experience must be achieved within the past five years. This reflects our thinking about

the major changes in the health care landscape that have taken place in recent years and the need for

case managers to be very much a part of what is happening in the current environment.

I work as a case manager for a UR company. I am CCM certified. I work with many hospital case managers who I believe are very experienced to sit for the CCM and in fact had a few CCM certified give me advice for my exam.

Also I have home health and nursing home background. I have worked for this company for seven years. We don't do workman's comp or much behavioral health which was a good portion of my exam. I had to study those areas well.

One more thing. I have an Associates degree. No BSN.

Hi,

I am just curious, how difficult is the exam? Is this one of those prometric proctored tests where (like the nursing boards, it just shuts down? *LPN, 80q/a, OFF-32 minutes.... I cried all he way home. A week later, I passed;)

Then, one year later, *RN, 156 q/a (this was in '02, so, for some reason I drew all questions RE "Mass Casualty Similar to 9/11 - I live in the Boston area, so, hint hint?.. I was never so affraid: Q- You have 3 critically injured patients being admitted to the floor, you have a full unit and must discharge two, transfer one to sub-acute, A.everything wrong, but, K was unstable B. everything wrong, but female complained of back pain C. Post Op tram flap x 6 days, L side circulatory return >10 seconds, c/o loss of sensation to the r D. 18 yr old male with acute cellulitus, adm x 3 days, area marked now tripled in size, skin color slowly turning black. (good luck, it was harder) did pass, but, no one sounded ok to me!

May I ask what you did to prep for the exam? How many questions? Your background?

ME: Adoption Placement Case Manager, Medically Fragile/ multiple birth/ sibling group 3+/ prematurity of unknown gestation GUATEMALA-USA program x 4.5 years.

THEN

US program coordinator Assisted Reproduction Technology INDIA-USA (GS, TS, IVF self, IVF donor, S, ED, SP donor recruitment, screening, education, applicant (parent(s) screening etc...) Loved this job, I worked from my bedroom, and never made a cold call.... UNTIL, I myself traveled for GS w/ED TX, and, Im not sure if the MD thought I was stupid, but, my GS (a 23 yr old mom of two - scared the hell out of me when I saw her 31 weeks later, as she appeared double that, and she was....) I quit...

NOW, I have come up with a very unique idea to approuch family building (actually awaiting a patent because it really is, according to my legal, the only one of its kind thus far.)

*Issue, two schools of thought in this area: some agencies/ firms are run by people, MOST actually, who seem to think that the art of pregnancy/ then being a surrogate, gives them a Masters in ?

**So, I am trying to look at various certifications, and the CCM is one of them. I started my MSN in CM, and its a joke, all I learned about was Theorist.

How was the exam, cost? Any advice, did getting the CCM help you in anyway?

Having the CCM credential has definitely gotten me jobs. When you see job postings that say, "CCM required," that's your clue.

I know this is an older post but to sit for certification as a Case manager you must meet basic eligibility requirements.

For example

Category 1:

12 months of acceptable full-time case management employment experience supervised by a board-certified case manager (CCM®) who has been certified for at least 12 months. Supervision is defined as the systematic and periodic evaluation of the quality of the delivery of the applicant's case management services.

Or

Category 2:

24 months of acceptable full-time case management employment experience.

(Supervision by a CCM is not required under this category).

Or

Category 3:

12 months of acceptable full-time case management employment experience as a

supervisor of individuals who provide case management services.

Acceptable employment experience MUST meet the following conditions:

A. At least 30% of qualified work time must focus primarily on case management practice.

B. Perform at least four of The Five Core Components of Case Management Within

each of the four of the five core components, you must:

Perform all Eight Essential Activities with Direct Client Contact

Provide services across a continuum of care, beyond a single episode of care that

addresses the ongoing needs of the individual being served.

Be responsible for interacting with other relevant parties within the client's healthcare

system.

C. Your qualifying case management experience MUST be obtained in the United States.

From a Certified Case Manager hope this helps