There was a question asked, "how do I get an employer to look at me for a case management position?". If you haven't done case management before and are looking to get in, I have a few pointers.
When I used to interview nurses who were interested in getting into case management for the first time, there where quite a few things I needed to feel comfortable with in order to give them consideration (not listed in order of importance). Please feel free to add to this post if anyone else has things they look for also.
1. The ability to use a computer - essential in the setting I worked in. 98% of our work was entered into a program. It was also essential that they knew the basics of maneuvering in Windows and operating systems.
2. The ability to show creative thinking - during the interview, I would give case scenarios. There were no specific answers I was looking for, I wanted to see what their thought process was: how they set priorities, what was of most importance, what things they focused on.
Here's an example of one of my case scenarios (I used to give 5 or 6):
You have a 16 year old illegal immigrant who has just lost 3 fingers on his dominant hand. After completion of the surgery to try and reattach the fingers, we find out he is a diabetic - previously untreated. What would be you main concerns as his newly assigned case manager?
3. Background - I liked my case managers to have background in home health and some utilization review. Psych was a plus, as that can be a major component in case management. They had to have at least 5 years med-surg experience.
4. Communication skills - I looked at how they presented themselves at the interview. Did they communicate their thoughts clearly? How was their attitude during the interview? Did they seem confident?
5. Question answering - I didn't ask the "tell me your strengths and weaknesses" questions. Those didn't do anything for me. I'd ask "Tell me about a time where you had a disagreement with a physician. What did you do to resolve the situation?"..."Tell me about a time where you had a non-compliant patient. How did you handle the situation and what did you do to resolve it?"..."Describe to me what traits a good case manager should have in order to get positive outcomes"...
Those are the points I can think of that were important to me as a supervisor looking to hire a new case manager who did not have previous experience.
