How do you like case management nursing?

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Hi there! I'm a new grad, a few months out, currently working on a med/surg floor, and I'm trying to decide on a specialty to go into. It seems like there are a lot of job listings for case management nurses and I like the idea of creating continuity of care, rather than the 'treat em and street em' mentality that seems to prevail on the floor. I was wondering how you guys feel about being in case management? Can you give me some pros/cons?

Specializes in Home Health Care.

Do not case manage for the military!! VERY complicated. Talk about alphabet soup. LIMDU, PEB, SOP, and so forth and so on and on!!!!

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Specializes in Home Health Care.

And a lot of Nurses have no idea about Home Health Care Case Management

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I like case management. It is still very stressful, but I no longer worry about possibly making a mistake that could cost a patient his or her life. I have learned a lot about insurance issues/length of stay/readmission risk. I still have patient contact. It is a very interesting specialty. I am not bored.

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Specializes in Utilization Review.

I know this post was pulled from the grave here but I had to say in regards to the comments about at least 3-5 years of hospital experience that it is NOT necessary. I had about a year and a few months of med-surg and then went into utilization review and my mental health is so much better for it. Med Surg wasn't my jam to begin with but I enjoy computers, I like having a steady schedule, and I absolutely knew that at some point I'd want to leave bedside. So, just because you don't have 3-5 years it doesn't mean you can't look at opportunities out there. It never, ever, ever, hurts to apply for a job you think you'd like more than what you're doing now. What matters is how YOU feel. There are draw backs to leaving the hospital with only a year or so experience but nursing is awesome in that you can change and still have the same degree.

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I'm glad to finally hear from someone who was able to break into CM with a little over a year experience in the hospital. I'm approaching the one year mark at my hospital and I'm planning on leaving the bedside as soon as I find something better. I'm really glad I stumbled upon your post. You have given me so much hope!

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Can you share a little more detail in what your day, case load, or job is like? I received a job offer for work at home casemanagement/some field work, with Medicaid patients. was told some may be homeless, on drugs and I'm not sure how that works. Do I visit them in hospital? ER? Home? and will my performance suffer if I can't get them to get their PAP, Colo, etc?

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On 12/5/2018 at 4:45 PM, cynthy said:

Can you share a little more detail in what your day, case load, or job is like? I received a job offer for work at home casemanagement/some field work, with Medicaid patients. was told some may be homeless, on drugs and I'm not sure how that works. Do I visit them in hospital? ER? Home? and will my performance suffer if I can't get them to get their PAP, Colo, etc?

Cynthy, did you get into CM? How is it going? I have an interview tomorrow with an Insurance company for CM and I am looking for advice, suggestions, interview questions. Thank you!

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Not that you asked me, but...

I had a couple of CM interviews and accepted an offer. They asked generic stuff about how you would handle a large caseload with lots of issues in play at once. How do you deal with follow up, small details and working in a team. How do you handle processes being changed within a few hours, requiring you to learn a new system when another system was just introduced last week. I tossed in some random insurance/ Medicaid facts without being asked and the interviewer looked quite pleased. Very little nursey type stuff and more social workey stuff, it seemed to me. They emphasized flexibility and customer service. Best of luck to you!

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I’m glad to have stumbled upon this and seeing positive comments about switching from floor nursing to CM. I think it’s silly that someone wanted to comment and say that having two years of experience or less will make you be less effective in the CM position. If there is a company willing to take a chance on that person then why put them down for wanting to try? If it doesn’t work then it doesn’t work. I’ve been a LTAC Nurse for 2 years and I’ve been ready for a change and to get away from 12 hour shifts for a little while while my baby is young. I got a CM job and they’re willing to teach me so I’m ready to learn! Either I’m going to hate it or I’m going to love it but I will never know unless I try it out! Nurses should encourage one another (and I know a lot of us do.) <3 best of luck to everyone looking for a change!

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Specializes in Med Surg, Tele, PH, CM.

If I made that comment, I did not mean to imply that you would not be capable of working effectively as a CM. I was simply reinforcing the philosophy that MOST companies hiring case managers would like to have nurses who have more than 2 years of LTAC experience. Case Management, if you're going to do it effectively, requires a mindset of knowledge, wisdom, maturity, organizational skills that, unless you came to nursing later in your professional life, may not have with just 2 years of experience. Not you personally, but "you" collectively. I was simply saying that when I first entered the field, employers wanted nurses with not only experience, but a Masters' degree. As CM has become more essential to health care, I suppose the requirements may have changed. I hope you love the field as much as I do. I work with Medicare/Medicaid patients in the field. Within the general guidelines supported by my program, I work independently. I build my own relationships with other providers and community agencies, make my own schedule, identify my own goals then implement them. Don't think I could have done that with 2 years of nursing experience.

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I know we keep digging this thread back up, but i felt like i wanted to comment again. Ive only been at it for 3 months, but this is the most comfortable i have been since i started nursing. Its early days, and i know it can change, but so far it works for me. No forced overtime, no running around. The metrics change weekly, but i seem to be able to adapt to the changes. Understaffing is still an issue, as are crazy families, but i don't feel unsafe physically or professionally anymore. So pleased to have found this specialty. I think this is how the nurses in the Allnurses school nurse threads must feel. They always seem so upbeat (with a touch of practicality)?.

I would love to hear from others in this thread who were interested in CM. Did you guys decide to take a position? How is it going?

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I just wanted to know im thinking of healthcare manager it falls under different job titles in the health field. I been an LVN for awhile and want something new and less stress on my body. Has anyone work in LA. Just wanted to know how is the work and is the pay better. Any info will help thanks.

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