Taking on The Case Manager Role

[Lovethenurse2b25, ASN, BSN, CNA, LPN, RN]

Hello All,

Im starting a new job as a Full time nurse case manager for home health. I have a year experience in nurse working at a Subacute rehab hospital and per diem at a Longterm care facility. Unfortunately I had to make the decision to find other employment due to a low census as a result of covid at both jobs. I was cancelled on numerous occasions and in march for a month. I also have prenursing experience in home health. Please provide any advice or helpful tips good or bad. Im very nervous but also happy to know that the organization has a teaching hospital so I can expect to learn a lot. Also, eventually transfer into the hospital.

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

Have you thoroughly revealed your job description? They will describe the position as " case manager" to entice candidates, when in actuality you are doing basic home visits. Is the agency actually owned by a hospital?

[Lovethenurse2b25, ASN, BSN, CNA, LPN, RN]

50 minutes ago, Been there,done that said:

Have you thoroughly revealed your job description? They will describe the position as " case manager" to entice candidates, when in actuality you are doing basic home visits. Is the agency actually owned by a hospital?

Yes, the largest hospital organization in my area. The job description does mention intake, assessments, revisits, wound care and osha. I also saw there was an option to do home infusion. But I am not currently iv certified. There is several weeks of training offered and a preceptor for a period of time. Although it was not my first choice especially with the amount of traveling involved , I am grateful to be employed after what I experienced during this pandemic.

[amoLucia]

I'm STRONGLY tending to lean along the lines with PP, BTDT, in that you will prob be managing clients thru skilled home care visits. Likely, they become your caseload and as you will be the primary one visiting, you are essentially their case manager since you are managing their care.

Sounds like 'splitting hairs' but that's what it really may be. In the current past, I have had 'visiting nurses/therapists' providing direct care, but I did have a 'for the record' case manager. And this was thru a very good hospital-system with an excellent home health division. I dealt with the care providers; I rarely went thru the CM.

Your situation could go either way, altho the addt'l info you provided makes me think more home visits.

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

7 hours ago, Lovethenurse2b25 said:

Yes, the largest hospital organization in my area. The job description does mention intake, assessments, revisits, wound care and osha. I also saw there was an option to do home infusion. But I am not currently iv certified. There is several weeks of training offered and a preceptor for a period of time. Although it was not my first choice especially with the amount of traveling involved , I am grateful to be employed after what I experienced during this pandemic.

That job description is vague. Will you start out with several weeks of training with a preceptor?

[Hoosier_RN, MSN]

HH case managers are simply lead nurse over their patient load. Generally a short orientation 1-2 weeks, tops, often shorter. Start learning about OASIS (not osha), as it is the documentation set you will use for patients. Good luck. It's stressful, but you can learn to balance it

[amoLucia]

To me, OP's job description entry sounds like 'field work' as versus 'office work'. Also "esp with the amount of travelling involved". And who does "wound care"? OP has some strong clinical work experience, but not extensive or diverse.

I'm getting the feeling that the term 'case manager' may just be a company euphemism for 'lead field nurse'.

I have an assigned 'case manager' thru my health insurance PPO plan. I have regularly scheduled telephone conferences with her. (In fact, I have to call her back on Monday for my update.) And I have a 'case navigator' with my new oncology service provider. She's my first call to my provider.

This can be a TERRIFIC opp'ty for OP to learn all the HH nuances and cement her future to eventually expand into traditional 'case management' within the hospital system. But I do say this position has generated some conversation.

OP - Good luck to you on your new future.

[Lovethenurse2b25, ASN, BSN, CNA, LPN, RN]

6 hours ago, Been there,done that said:

That job description is vague. Will you start out with several weeks of training with a preceptor?

To add on to the job description; it includes updating the POC, teaching the patients, families and home health aides. Collaborating with the insurance nurse and following the payers guidelines. I was told the training would be up to six weeks and slightly shorted due to covid.

14 hours ago, Lovethenurse2b25 said:

Yes, the largest hospital organization in my area. The job description does mention intake, assessments, revisits, wound care and oasis. I also saw there was an option to do home infusion. But I am not currently iv certified. There is several weeks of training offered and a preceptor for a period of time. Although it was not my first choice especially with the amount of traveling involved , I am grateful to be employed after what I experienced during this pandemic.

[Lovethenurse2b25, ASN, BSN, CNA, LPN, RN]

6 hours ago, Hoosier_RN said:

HH case managers are simply lead nurse over their patient load. Generally a short orientation 1-2 weeks, tops, often shorter. Start learning about OASIS (not osha), as it is the documentation set you will use for patients. Good luck. It's stressful, but you can learn to balance it

Thanks for the insight. Osha was a typo. The orientation is about 6 weeks with a few days of classroom training and the remaining time with a preceptor.

[Sydney2011]

My background is almost the same as yours. I started in SNF/ long term with a background in HH as a CNA prior to becoming and RN. I’m also a CM with a home care agency affiliated with a large hospital system. Case managing in this context more means that you’re the lead nurse in charge of that patient- you’ll the primary contact person as well as the one organizing and overseeing their care. My orientation was three months and that’s standard with my agency. There is a ton of overlap between SNF nursing and home care, and if your work experience has been similar to mine, then you’ll be well prepared to be working on your own and trying to utilize resources when needed since long-term care nursing rarely has enough in-house support and you get used to being resourceful because you really have no other option . At least for me, after I got past that initial learning curve, I find home care nursing to be so much easier SNF. Good luck!