Home health RN vs Case Manager RN??

[aprilj90, BSN, MSN, APRN, NP]

I'm considering going into home health management. I love the idea of helping patients "where they are" so to speak and the autonomy of home health nursing. I also need a job that offers flexibility in scheduling as I need to have at least 1 day off during the work week (Mon-Fri) for another obligation. So my question lies here: I'm looking through job searches and I keep seeing Home health RN and Home Health Case Manager RN. What is the difference? Do case managers have flexibility with their scheduling as well? Any input is appreciated. Thanks!

[jenmrussell14]

I'm prn now but when I was full time I was called a case manager. Usually had 20-30 patients assigned to me and was responsible for entering orders, dealing with pnt issues, etc even if I had sometimes never physically seen the pnt but usually did case manager only or timepoint visits. I Usually saw 5-10 patients a day so a little less flexibility but you could make it work. Depends on your area you are covering, how many points you need for productivity, how many other nurses there are , census of patients, etc. I found a large chunk of my day was spent on paperwork/charting for "my patients", that time was also not paid for by my company which greatly influenced my decision to go PRN

[nursel56]

I can't say for all agencies but the difference is that the Case Manager is not usually doing the direct care at the bedside but responsible for start of service assessments, the OASIS form, recertification at pre-determined intervals (ie 30-60-90 days) which involves a visit to the home, and acting as a resource person for people doing the direct patient care, such as LPNs or Home Health Aides.

The home health nurse also involves driving and doing assessments, but rather than a supervisory role, you'll be doing wound care, managing IV meds, drawing blood and other tasks related to chronic illnesses.

This is by no means a complete list but should give you an idea. As to your question about scheduling flexibility, it really depends on your employer's policies. Some are accommodating and some treat you like you're on call 24/7. The Home Health nursing forum has both nightmare scenarios and people who love the job. Best wishes to you!

[fsudmbRN, ASN]

I am a case manager for home health. I have an area that I "manage" and make sure that the patient has everything they need. The majority of the RN's who work in my agency are all case managers and then we have a few RN's who are basically our admission nurses. I am out in the field seeing patients and if I find a need, I call doc and let my Clinical Manager know the need, also. She, then, also follows up. As full time, we all work 5 days a week with an on call rotation. You have to be hired as a 32 hour full time to take a day off during the week. I think we only have one of those in our agency.... which is pretty large.