MBA degree

[SquishNurse, BSN]

I have been a case manager for a public health department for a large metropolitan county for over 5 years. I want to stay on the case management and utilization review track for the remainder of my career. Lately, I have grown interested in pursuing a graduate degree and have noticed a few threads suggesting the MBA route. I am NOT interested in being a nurse manager or transitioning into any kind of supervisory role.

So— is pursuing an MBA worthwhile for a nurse interested in staying in the CM/UM specialty?

What programs are reputable? What have your experiences been? Online programs would be great as I must continue working full-time and have a child. Can anyone speak to the quality of that format?

[JVLims]

I've been a certified hospital case management RN for many years and at one point decided to get my Masters'-I was not interested in management (been there, done that) or academia at the time so I earned my MBA. I do think it gives me a unique perspective on some of the stresses and strains on the health care and insurance industries and knowledge that allowed me to become a better advocate for my patients. 

[SummerGarden, BSN, MSN, RN]

OP, I worked as a hospital UM nurse at one point when I only had a BSN and MBA.  Was my MBA helpful?  Not really.  Having an MBA is very good if you want to move up in nursing management or another healthcare related management position. MBAs are uniquely focused on business and industries. 

What was helpful was my years of work experience as a CM who performed UM.  I learned about insurance and insurance coverage working as a UM case manager.  On the other hand, I also gained additional knowledge during my RN-BSN program when I took a course on Case Management (the textbook was very detailed and a good reference if studying for your CCM).  With that said, there are some universities and colleges that offer a masters degree that focuses on case management that may be more of your interest.  Good luck!