Field Case Management

[zem2002]

I am considering a job in field case management, mostly involving workmans comp. I know I would like the work, as I have done some case management in the past and really liked it, but I have concerns about work/life balance. Does anyone have any advice on this? I have 3 small children, and the job is home based but would involve quite a bit of driving time, going to doctor's appointments, etc. The appeal of setting my own schedule and not being inside all day is very appealing, however I don't want to end up in a situtation where I am working 50 hours every week because no matter how much I like the work, that will burn me out. I was told that more than 8 hour days is not expected. Thank you in advance for any advice.

[Nursesteph14]

Ggabri07

I was wondering if you could tell me a little bit more about the company you worked for and your job responsibilities as I am possibly thinking of going into this route of nursing. I graduated with my bsn last year. Thanks !

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

This is a really old thread so I'm not sure if a previous poster will answer you. However, field case management in work comp needs a good deal of autonomy, assumes you have a broad clinical background (likely more than just one year-- I had almost 20 when I started, and most of my peers were similarly experienced), and most jobs require or strongly prefer certification in case management.

Your duties would include on-site assessment of the injured person and the worksite/job, perhaps suggesting an appropriate specialist, attending all physician visits, and proactively setting up services and re-evals. For example, if you ask the surgeon how soon PT will be starting after the knee surg, he'll say after the first postop visit in ten days, so you'll make the 10-day postop visit appt and the PT initial eval appt to follow the same day now. If you wait to make the PT appt after the postop check, you won't be able to get the patient in for another week or two -- avoidable delay. You'll monitor therapy, work with the employer to provide some sort of modified work during recovery, propose and get specific restricted-duty clearance from the physician, monitor return to work, and consult with the employer. You wold also educate the claims adjuster on all aspects of this injury and progress, write a note on every contact on the case (pt, doc, therapists, employer, etc,) obtain and review all medical records, write periodic reports, and keep track of all your time for all of this for billing purposes. You'll need to learn a lot about the work comp law in your state to know what you can and cannot do, deal with claimant attorneys, and set u and attend (if allowed) independent medical exams. That covers most of it. :)

Here's the link to the CCMC for more information in certification.

CCMC | The Commission for Case Manager Certification

[parjan4]

I am interviewing for coventry as a field case manager for workers comp, is it possible to contact you I would appreciate if you can tell me a little more about your experience?