Case manager job is chaotic

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Hello Nurse Beth,

   I have 18 years of residential psych experience. My former place of employment closed down 2 years ago. I am currently working as a nurse case manager at a local hospital. I have been in my position for 2 weeks. It seems like it's going to be a lot of work and chaos. The other case managers complain all day. I really think that they prefer social workers for the role, because the majority of the case managers are social workers. I really don't know where to turn. They have a psych ward in the hospital, but my psych experience was in a residential treatment facility. Please advise. Thanks

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Specializes in Tele, ICU, Staff Development.

If you can hang in there, don't do anything yet. It's only been two weeks, and it's worth giving it a shot.

Here's why: a year or so as a case manager can qualify you for many other roles that might appeal to you, such as remote work, which is far less chaotic than acute care.

To help cope now:

  • Reach out to a colleague or a mentor (either in the hospital or within the broader healthcare system) with case management experience. Having a sounding board can help you gain perspective and figure out how to adjust to your role in a more manageable way.
  • Have a conversation with your supervisor or manager about your concerns. Ask for feedback on how you can better align your nursing skills with the role. Ask to extend your orientation if possible.

Long-term goals

Reflect on your long-term goals in nursing. Do you want to return to psych, or are you interested in exploring a different specialty? This could help clarify your next career move within this hospital or elsewhere.

After you've tried it out, you may conclude that the case management role here isn't the best long-term fit due to the stress level and potential misalignment with your strengths.

If your passion still lies in psych, consider approaching the psych ward manager or director about the possibility of transferring to that unit. Don't discount the skills you acquired in your 18 years of residential care. Many are transferable to the hospital setting.

Best wishes,

Nurse Beth

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