Please Help with Certification Info

[myjo]

Hello.

I would like to apply for CM certification. I have looked through this thread and still have questions I was hoping some seasoned CMs could answer.

My background: BSN, RN for 16 yrs, Med-Surg, SICU, ER, Eight years of Home Care, Six months as Telephonic concurrent review CM for HMO and six months as Short Term Disability Clinician for insurance co. I am currently unemployed.

I have researched all the credentialing sites and still have questions. I contacted one of them but have not heard back.

Questions I'm hoping you can answer:

1) Does my background qualify me to register? I cannot afford to forfeit a registration fee only to find out I do not qualify. I have taken some sample questions offered by these sites and have done well.

2)Must I be currently employed?

3)Which credentialing agency would you recommend? There seem to be dozens! (CCMC, Kaplan, American Institute for Health Care Professionals, etc.)

4) What books can you recommend?

5) Must I actually take a course or can I just register to sit for the exam? Are the exams given independently or are they through the company that offers the courses?

Any and all help is greatly appreciated! I am at a transition period in my career and would like to pursue CM as I feel it is the future for health care.

Thanks to all!

[rn with class]

in order to be certified as a case manager you have to at least one year of case management experience and your supervisor has to to certified or work two years as a case manager and your supervisor does not have to certified. go to the website ccmcertification.org and it gives all the requirements.

[myjo]

Thank you for your response.

I did view the website you listed and read their requirements. I was wondering if my eight years of home care counts as "working as a case manager."

Also, do you know if I must take a course or if I would be able to just take the exam?

Thanks.

[rn with class]

You do not have to take a course if you qualify to sit for the exam.

[myjo]

That's good to know. At least I can save some money on the course. But I guess that brings me round again to trying to find an answer as to whether or not my eight years in home care counts as a qualifier.

Are there any books or study materials you can recommend?

Thanks again for all your help!

[rn with class]

I studied the book A cases managers study guide -preparation for certification by Denise Fattorusso. It also has a disk that has over 900 practice questions included. I ordered it off amazon.

[myjo]

That's excellent info!

Thank you so much!