Seeking advice

Editorial Team / Admin · Apr 23, 2021

What nursing specialties interest you? Allnurses has several specialty forums that you can explore to get an idea of what nurses in those specialties do- just click specialties in the yellow bar.

Hannahbanana, BSN, MSN · Apr 23, 2021

If you've been doing rehab you'd be a great candidate for case management.. If you already have the CRRN (if not, you could probably pass it with minimal prep after three years in rehab) you could earn the CCM as you go with the right employer, and that would open up a lot of great possibilities. Been there, done that.

Lovethenurse2b25, ASN, BSN, CNA, LPN, RN · Apr 24, 2021

6 hours ago, Hannahbanana said:

If you've been doing rehab you'd be a great candidate for case management.. If you already have the CRRN (if not, you could probably pass it with minimal prep after three years in rehab) you could earn the CCM as you go with the right employer, and that would open up a lot of great possibilities. Been there, done that.

I currently have 2.5 years of rehab nursing and longterm care, home health etc. Would it be possible to land a hospital case management job with no prior experience. How can I market myself for the case management role?

Hannahbanana, BSN, MSN · Apr 24, 2021

First, a bit of homework. Look up the Case Management Society of America, CMSA, and read some of their work. Even though you aren’t yet eligible to take the CCM certification, look up the information about the exam, particularly the exam blueprint. That will give you an idea about what they expect a CM to be able to do competently. You might even find the local chapter and drop in on a meeting — don’t worry about being new, we all were one, we get it— and ask people what they do.
Also, be very clear on the difference between case mgmt and discharge planning. Although many hospital depts call themselves case mgmt, their job descriptions don’t support the definition if what they do is set up discharge plans.
Also, many VNAs call their nurses case managers, but they don’t fit the definition either. CMSA literature will make that clear to you, too.
You can also check out the CM section here, introduce yourself, and ask questions.
OK, so now your next step is to take a piece of paper and a pen and write down what aspects of those you’ve learned a bit about in your past jobs along the continuum of care from acute to rehab to home care. (Use a paper and pen, not your computer, because it makes your brain make connections and get concepts better at this stage of the game.) See the pattern here?
You have worked in home care so you’ve worked on discharge plans, recommending equipment, follow up care, and transportation even if you didn’t bring those plans to life. You might not have worked in acute care, but you’ve seen and worked c the effects of what they did to deliver rehab pts to your door. You already know about inpt rehab, progression, coordinating services, and the like in a way many acute care nurses have no glimpse of. You have a lot of experience with the continuum of care to build on. That’s what you want to present to a new employer.
So now what you want to do is look for a place that needs somebody to use for what you can do, or who will be a quick(Er) study than many folks. I’d like to encourage you to think outside the hospital box. Most CM companies are reluctant to hire somebody who doesn’t already hold the CCM credential, turn keep trying. Also, you could apply to a hospital CM department and learn the ropes there, and they might give you the time in grade to sit the exam, and even pay for it (maybe).
Remember to tell them what you know already and how you’d like to build on that to be able to develop a career in CM.

I get it if this sounds daunting or time-consuming. But as we all know, the time will pass anyway, so where do you want to be when it does? CM can open a multitude of doors to you that you can’t begin to imagine until you get into it. Have some fun. You won’t regret taking a leap!