how to get started in CM

cm isn't a job that requires a certain career track. i think the best thing you can do is to take jobs that interest you and get a broad base of nursing experience that way....my colleagues come from a diverse background....med surg, or, home health, icu. if you take a job just to use it to get another job, you are not likely to enjoy it....and you are still a student...don't be surprised if your interests change....

good luck to you!

Dria,

Thank you for replying back to my posting! I will take your advice and pick a field that interests me. It is good to know that I don't need a specific field to enter case management. Thanks again.

hopeful84

best way to get started in CM, if you want a field position and want to work from a home office and go into the filed is to have critical care and trauma experience (ER, ICU, Ortho, Neuro) best bet.. this sets up up for a great workers comp filed position that can have alot of opportunity for advancement and the flexibility of a home based office and ability to travel in the local areas.

NCRNCCM,

Thank you so much for the advice! That idea sounds great. If I have any more questions I will let you know.

hopeful84

My background is in NICU and OBGYN. I'm thinking about moving into case management. I would love to know where to start, too. I have applied for several hospital positions, but they seem to want experience in CM only. Are there any other companies I could look at to do this kind of work?

My mom was a postpartum nurse for 20 years and now is a CCM for Aetna, she loves it too. She gets to work from home starting in a few months!

I would love some tips on how to get into the CM field. I have 15 yrs experience in step-down, ICU/CCU, ER, Amb-surg and PACU. I am enrolled in a CM certificate program. I had a vocational counselor take a look at my resume and tell me that people are afraid to hire me because they think I will get bored and leave! I need to reinvent my nursing career due to a back injury and and that seems to be the most logical move for me at this time. I sure could use any pointers anyone has. Seems like any CM jobs here in NY all want someone with a BSN and experience. I went to 1 interview but they didn't tell me that I would be working as an intake nurse as well as CM for their home care angency. I have sent my applications in to other places but I never get a response or I hear, "Your resume and skills are impressive but we are pursuing other candidates that better suit our needs..."

Thanks,

Christie

Great forum. I am very interested in Case Management. My mentor does this now and loves it. I have worked in Sub-Acute and Alzheimer's in a skilled nursing facility and now working Med-Surg just to have the bed side skills nurses are always talking about.

The Manager of Case Management says she would hire me. I only have to wait four more months to apply. So I am going to accept in offer in April. If it is still there.

I do hospital based case management for trauma at a large midwestern hospital system. In my case, I was in the right place at the right time. My hospital requires Masters for the job, and I was working on mine at the time. I have done Psych, Acute, and now Trauma case management. This is my dream job, as it allows me alot of autonomy in decision-making, the ability to really make an impact, and to interact with great professionals on the cutting edge in a Level ! trauma setting. Lots of good clinical experience, not necessarily Critical Care, just broad based experience. I have never worked in ICU, but I can do Discharge Planning for critical patients. I'm making close to $70,000 in the midwest with an advanced degree, In other markets, you can probably make a lot more.

Morghan, MSN,ARNP

Kansas

Case Management is a blend of many disciplines - acute care is essential, but you also need a working knowledge of managed care and ambulatory care. I left acute care many years ago for Public Health, where I learned population management while trying to keep up with the latest in Acute Care. I love Case Management. I finish work at the end of the day feeling like I have really made a difference for some folks. Nurses do a lot of case management tasks without realizing it. If you can spend a few years in PH or a medical practice, you can add case management to your resume. It wasn't until I left the hospital that I realized that there is more to healthcare than what happens in the hospital. Problem is, once you get used to a hospital salary, it's hard to give it up.