[roseorchid]

Hello to all! I am new to this group and am very interested in the insights this group may be able to offer. I work for a large company in which many of us used to do high risk care management. Due to changes in the market, our company has transferred many nurses into the disease management arena. As for myself, I am happy with these new learning opportunities. However, many of my colleagues are not as thrilled with the change. Therefore, I decided to work on a special project with another colleague to hopefully inspire, motivate and provide possible positives for working in this environment. I thought by reaching out to the expertise of this group, perhaps I can fulfill my goal of supporting my fellow colleagues. I appreciate anything you are willing to share!
1. What kind of nursing were you doing before going into disease management?
2. Describe your current or past disease management work environment.
3. What are or were the drawbacks?
4. What are or were the stressors?
5. Did you come up with any successful techniques for dealing with these drawbacks and stressors?(please elaborate)
6. What are or were the positive aspects of you disease management role?
7. Are you considering leaving disease management? Why?
8. If you already left, why?
9. What area of nursing did you go to?
10. What would have motivated you to stay?
11. How long have you been in or were you in disease management?

Thanks again for your feedback!!!

[joannep]

1.What kind of nursing were you doing before going into disease management?
I had been a nurse manager for 4 years, a community nurse for 1 year, a renal nurse for 5 years and a perioperative nurse for 15 years.

2. Describe your current or past disease management work environment.
I currently work in an office environment, all our disease management is telephone based. Our shifts are 8-4; 9-5, 10-6, 12-8.

3. What are or were the drawbacks?
I have only been doing this job for a few weeks and so far the biggest drawback is the immobility associated with sitting at a desk.

4.What are or were the stressors?
All our calls are outbound, generally no stress is involved.

5. Did you come up with any successful techniques for dealing with these drawbacks and stressors?(please elaborate)
We are able to move to a home based office after a certain period of time and that is what I plan to do, and to do split shifts on some days, working 8-12 then 6-9 so I can have the afternoon free.

6. What are or were the positive aspects of you disease management rol?
I like the fact that it is a patient education/support role, and by using modern technology I am able to work at home and improve my work-life balance.

7. Are you considering leaving disease management? Why?
Not at the moment, I also work 1 day a fortnight in a long term care facility.
Most of the staff have been doing it for at least 2 years, it is rare someone leaves.

8. If you already left, why?
Not applicable

9.What area of nursing did you go to?
Not applicable

10.What would have motivated you to stay?
Job satisfaction and a health work-life balance is what is important to me

11. How long have you been in or were you in disease management?
Not applicable

loveya:

[roseorchid]

Joanne, Thank you so much for your reply! Sounds like you are rather happy and that is encouraging. Let me ask, do you do manual outbound calls or use a dialer? Are you required to keep within a certain time frame for your calls and so many per day? Thanks again!

[joannep]

Hi,
Let me ask, do you do manual outbound calls or use a dialer?
We do manual outbound calls

Are you required to keep within a certain time frame for your calls and so many per day?
Yes, there are call times that we are required to aim for, and a certain amount of calls per day is also expected.

Everything is timed, your breaks, your lunch breaks, your restroom stops, it is actually quite restrictive if you have been used to organizing your own work flow etc. We have been told we are expected to visit the restroom in breaks and not take unscheduled breaks to go. I didn't expect this level of control on time and find it quite restrictive.

[BBFRN]

1. What kind of nursing were you doing before going into disease management?
Open heart critical care
2. Describe your current or past disease management work environment.
Work from home. 4 10 hr days a week. DM for chronic disease workforce populations.
3. What are or were the drawbacks?
Not as exciting as bedside nursing.
4. What are or were the stressors?
No stressors where I work.

6. What are or were the positive aspects of you disease management role?
Easiest job I've ever had. Low physical stress level. Tons of autonomy. Great benefits. Get to work from home. Low acuity.
7. Are you considering leaving disease management? Why? Not if I can help it for now.
?
11. How long have you been in or were you in disease management? Have only been in DM for 6 months.

[BBFRN]

FWIW, our company was using call time as a factor, but is getting rid of that, and switching to outcomes based quality measurements. That makes me very happy.

We make manual calls, which we schedule ourselves.

[Disease Management]

I have been in DM for over 4 years and really like the industry of DM/Population Health Management/ Coaching and look forward to seeing the results of this audit.
1. What kind of nursing were you doing before going into disease management?
I was in ED nursing.
2. Describe your current or past disease management work environment.
I work in a call center for a very large DMO that provides Diabetes, Cardiac, Asthma, COPD and 11 other medical condition education.
3. What are or were the drawbacks?
I think the calling strategies of a call center-makes members seem like we are telmarketers.
4. What are or were the stressors?
Metrics and meeting sometimes impractical expectations of plans and customers.
5. Did you come up with any successful techniques for dealing with these drawbacks and stressors?(please elaborate)
Not yet but working with really good nurses that are friends really helps.
6. What are or were the positive aspects of you disease management role?
I truly believe in the Chronic Care model as opposed to the Acute Care model and that is what keeps in the field.
7. Are you considering leaving disease management? Why?
No I am considering going deeper into the field and starting my own company.
8. If you already left, why?
No
9. What area of nursing did you go to?
N/A
10. What would have motivated you to stay?
I think there needs to be a career path in this area and certifaction. I recenty found that certification on a website (www.healthsciences.org) for a CCP-Chronic Care Professional certifaction program.
11. How long have you been in or were you in disease management?
For over 4 years

[Disease Management]

Roseorchid,

I am new to AllNurses and found your questions about DM very intersesting. I am curious to know if you are wrting a paper? I would love to know what the outcomes are and what the issues in the industry.
Thanks
DM

[roseorchid]

No I am not doing a paper. I was hoping to share some positive from our world of experienced disease managers with my fellow colleagues who are having tough time with job change. I am doing a PPT presentation in couple weeks for my colleagues. Unfortunately I did not get the response for which I had hoped, but will utilize info from those who were able to respond.