dria

You may consider asking if there is the option to work in the office full or part time, or exactly when you would transition home...some places may require 6 months in the office so that you have time to learn your job. And being able to listen to others on the phone is invaluable...always helpful to hear how a colleague phrases something, or the way s/he handles a given situation. I've worked from home either full or part time since 2009, and I love it! I've never felt isolated or off in space, the IMs and phone calls from colleagues prevented that....but it may be a matter of what you're used to. I've been known to IM a person sitting right across the aisle from me. Some pro's are the ability to work in your jammies til lunchtime, get out for a walk, or fold laundry, or start dinner on your lunch/break, NOT pay 4 bucks a gallon for gas or deal with the commute. The cons: I did find myself working longer hours when at home, no snow days...if the office is closed r/t weather, you will still be working. It can be hard to accomplish some things remotely, like showing someone how to do something. If your cable goes down, you may have to travel into the office to work or use PTO. Good luck!

i think she's been cheating on the residency requirement for some time now.

that sounds like a heck of a lot. it's comparing apples to oranges, but i work telephonic, and start to get a little nervous when my load exceeds 100. i guess it all boils down to the level of need for those 1800, and exactly what you are doing for them. the key that i see is that you are starting to feel overwhelmed.

well, i'll be interested to see what others have to say. i was lucky enough to land the first cm job i applied for. but what i am hearing is that finding a cm job can be a challenge. most cms enjoy their job, and the turnover seems to be less than in other areas of nursing.

1. i don't think there is a definite answer, other than the more the better. 2. again, the clinical experience required depends largely on the area of cm you want to get into. obviously, if you are interested in managing cancer pts, oncology experience is essential. if you are looking at something broader, i would agree with the other posters who suggested med/surg, critical care etc. i would also suggest that home health would help you to learn the needs of the client outside the hospital. 3. i have an asn with bsn pending. in my niche, msns are rare. i'm thinking of going mph personally. i cannot speak to the requirements of hospital cms, since i have no experience in that arena. i also live in the midwest. guess that wasn't really helpful was it, what you need depends largely on what you want to do. good luck!

as opposed to (per your other posts) being a new grad still on orientation?? i understand that you are (rightfully) proud of yourself for finishing school and passing your boards, but that doesn't instantly make your opinion and judgement better or more valid than anyone else's. as one of the other posters commented, this clinical scenario doesn't exactly require an rn license to know that there is room for improvement. even my fiance got it, and he's "just" an auto mechanic.

thanks for a very thought-provoking post. i get where you are coming from, but i can say (in my case at least) that the flexibility to switch to different areas of specialty is one of the factors that drew me to nursing in the first place (whoops, just looked back, you did address that. i blame the cold meds!) anyway, i'm not saying it's not a bad idea (and actually quite good) but how do you propose that this be accomplished considering the present nursing faculty shortage? would a better solution be to standardize the orientation programs across hospitals and specialties? (hey, if we're dreaming, let's dream big!)

the insurer i work for has a program specific to congenital heart disease. it's a blend of interaction with the patient (well, parents) and utilization review. there is the option of working from home. feel free to pm me for details. i don't really like to advertise where i work... previous poster was dead on re: ccm cert. you need the cm job first, then the certificate. regarding a master's in cm...i did some (very basic) research. didn't really seem to suit my needs, seemed to emphasize cm in rural populations. that seems to be a "newer" degree, it will be interesting to see how it progresses...

actually, i was being a little tongue in cheek. sorry that didn't come through. would carrying a gun with me make me feel more safe? no. do i feel less safe because my state does not allow concealed weapons no. we live in dangerous times....that's what makes me feel unsafe. there are inherent risks in everything that we do (unless we're talking about sitting in a padded room wrapped in bubble wrap....but wait...there's the suffocation risk with that too.) automobiles kill more people than guns do. perhaps we should talk about banning them too. the point i am trying to make is that yes, there are risks associated with gun ownership. i get that. but as i've mentioned before, there are inherent risks in just about everything we do. we can identify the risks, and take actions to mitigate them. it's simply impossible to protect us from everything that might happen.

if were as easy as ban guns, reduce crime, i'd be all for it (well, probably not, but i'd be less against it.) unfortunately, it's not that simple. to date there are no studies that indicate that gun bans reduce violent crimes, nor any studies that rink gun ownership to increased crime. i do think you are right tho, their societies are more peaceful than ours. but i think it has to do with a lot more than gun control laws...

only if i was part of that 95%....

aren't they?

so you have just been walking thru existing cases? are you not listening to live calls? how can you be expected to open a new case when you have not seen it done?? as a new cm, it's likely that all you will be doing for a little while is opening new cases! (i'm holding back my rant on this because you are getting such a raw deal it isn't even funny. at the insurer i work for, the clincal managers don't even have caseloads!!) maybe you can go back to the trainer who did the classroom portion? what a sticky situation you are in! mullahy's handbook is an excellent resource, i learned a lot from it. but (imho and i know i'm repeating myself) you just can't teach yourself case management! having mentored many new hires, the key is walking thru each case together and problem solving. "showing" someone some cases that have already been worked just won't isn't going to cut it. additionally, each insurance company has their own "flavor" of case management. please let us know how we can help you, and you may pm me at any time!

get a new preceptor. seriously, some people just aren't equipped to precept others. or it could just be a poor match between the two of you-maybe your brains don't work the same. truly, this is not something you can figure out on your own. there are so many possibilities, maybe you could ask more specific questions?

i promise you that i and other posters have not misinformed you in previous threads....the ccm requires cm work experience..1 year under a ccm supervisor or 2 years without. there is simply no way around it...you get the job, then the ccm. here is a direct link to the eligibility requirements: http://www.ccmcertification.org/pages/14frame_set.html the requirements are clearly defined, and the info is straight from the source. i strongly encourage you to read thru the entire guide. i personally see little value in the kaplan cert, i can think of a better way to spend $4k, but other posters have found the program helpful and felt that it gave them an edge. from what i've learned in speaking with cms in other roles/companies/location, the value of the ccm cert varies widely. i'm not quite sure whether you are interesting in working for a medical or worker's comp insurance company. from what i've gathered (and i have no wc experience, so the wc cms are welcome to correct me if i'm wrong) the ccm is more desired by the medical companys vs the wc companies. i also think that the status of working from home varies by company. mine (a national medical insurer) continues to send nurses home. i've been with my company for a number of years, and just went home about a month ago. it's a great perk to be sure, but make sure that you're not saying in your interviews that the reason you want to get into cm is so you can work from home (i'm not assuming that's what you're saying, just telling you what not to say to get hired.)

well... #1. the ina does not (directly) set the educational requirements for entry into nursing, that is the responsibility of the il dept of financial and professional regulation by way of the nurse practice act. the state board of nursing then interprets the act. this may help: ina info on the difference between ina and bon: http://www.illinoisnurses.com/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=250 #2. to the best of my knowledge, no states even require a bsn for entry level rns. if i remember correctly, nd tried it for a few years back in the 80's or 90's....it didn't work. considering that no state currently requires a bsn for entry level rns, i think it highly unlikely that any state would make the msn mandatory. #3. we just got a new npa. while i'm sure a mechanism exists for amending it, it would have to go thru the legislative process-just like any other law. i'm thinking you are having difficulty in finding any information about this because it simply isn't true. good luck with your studies!

good to hear that holding on to them pays off. i've moved my box o'scurbs three times now, that's how long it's been since i needed them!! i have rn friends with the same issue....you just never know...

you will love it. i'm another "real nurse" working from home. i work as a case manager for a national insurer, and i went home about three weeks ago. it does present it's own unique set of challenges, but as long as the good outweighs the bad, i'm happy! i'm fairly sure that we work for different companies, so our processes differ, as do our roles, however, i'm sure there are also lots of things we have in common. feel free to pm me anytime...

i would likely be in a much better mood flying to fl on a weekly basis!! however, i'm not independently wealthy, and i do have a job....we "meet" online. i work with a gal that just finished @ lewis (on site) and another who is @ jacksonville (online.) we've talked about it, and i really see no major difference in the nursing-related coursework. more a matter of required gen-eds and such. and most of the on-site programs are accelerated as well. i think the line between the online program and the brick and mortar is blurring. many "traditional" colleges also offer an online program. i know uic does, as does isu. it's the same degree, anyway...no * noting that it was earned online. i chose fhchs for a number of reasons, one of them being that tweety gave such a good review of his experience. i suspect that he should be put on the payroll as a recruiter...

i'm presently enrolled @ fhchs. so far, so good. it is really important to consider what you want from your educational experience and use that to narrow your search. i also wanted to participate in the collaborative learning experience, so i sought out a program that offers that. i meet for class once a week just like the on-site rn-bsn programs do. the only disadvantage that i've found so far is listening to everyone in fl talk about their lovely weather when i am enduring another chicago winter...

yes, it can be done. i think that most of the online programs are geared toward the "working professional." however, if money is a concern, don't forget to cost it out. when i was looking a year ago, most of the rn-msn programs were more than happy to charge you the graduate level tuition even when you are taking the undergrad courses. call me cheap, but i just couldn't wrap my mind around that! i opted to obtain (only) my bsn online. i will worry about my msn if (i mean when) i get that done!! good luck, and i hope you find what you are looking for!

we've had good luck with edge park overnighting supplies in a pinch. i'm not sure if it's because we are an insurer (and maybe have better reimbursement rates?) but it might be worth looking into. 5 days sure is a long time...

the job. ccmc requires one year cm experience under a ccm, or two year's cm experience regardless of the certification of your supervisor's cerfication status.

i got my ccm last year and am on the prowl for a new challenge...am looking into the cphc.... so do you have to attend the seminar to sit for the exam, or can you study independently?? i have sent an email to mckesson, but who knows how long they will take to respond!!