Job Interview

[Bear05]

I'm going to an interview this week for a nurse CM position. The position is at a not for profit community organization that assists members enrolled in the medicaid program. I have 9yrs of nursing experience which includes med-surg stepdown, outpatient procedures, and cardiac. I'm very nervous, yet excited that I've been given the opportunity to interview with them since I have no case management experience.

I would like to know if it's common to have high caseloads with these organizations?

Are salaries generally on the low side?

Would this type of job be a good place to start for someone without CM experience?

I know these questions will be difficult to answer until I receive more information from the interview. I would appreciate it if someone could give me some advice if possible.

Thanks!

[SummerGarden, BSN, MSN, RN]

Did you find the answers to your question during/after your interview? I suspect, having worked for an organization that exclusively served Medicaid the answers to your questions are as follows:

1. Yes, there are high case loads, where it is impossible to provide all of your clients/patients quality effective care.
   
2. Positions are salaried and are the norm because you will work long hours and these types of employers do not want to pay for your over-time (not-for-profit means nothing except that the company makes no profit. CEOs and others on top have every right to make enough to get rich and do)!
   
3. Salaries are on the low side, but these Case Management positions are a very good place to start to gain valuable work experience in this specialty to take with you somewhere else.
   

Good luck.

[Bear05]

Thank you so much for the responsembarnbsn! It was very helpful. So far I've received a brief overview of the organization and the expectations of the case managers there. I'm scheduled to have a 2nd interview with them next week which will be more detailed. I really want to enter this field, but I'm very nervous at the same time since this will be something entirely different.

Thanks again and I appreciate all of the invaluable information posted on this forum!

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

They know what you would bring to the table. They need you more than you need them, so you don't need to be very nervous at all. Reframe that. Say, "I am excited to be going to this interview." You are, aren't you? See?

There is nothing wrong with doing something entirely different. Heck, I went from being a critical care clinical specialist i hospitals to work comp field case management, about which I knew exactly nothing. You still have your native intelligence and knowledge of the nursing process-- assessment, analysis, planning, implementation, evaluation. You got this.