The field of nursing is exciting and rewarding. Some want to try their hands at nursing from a slightly different approach, and these individuals choose to become nurse case managers. If management and planning are strong points for those looking to enter a new career, case management nursing has plently opportunities that will allow nurses to offer options for cost-effective healthcare to patients and their families.
Case manager nurses ensure that patients receive appropriate, quality care that is cost effective. They work directly with patients and their family members to conduct various assessments and analyze the data to determine the patient’s needs. Once the necessary data has been collected case manager nurses work closely with the members of the patient’s healthcare team to manage and coordinate all areas of the patient’s care.
The duties of case manager nurses include monitoring and assessing the needs of patients, determining treatment eligibility, using clinical options to decide if plans meet the patient’s needs, and making arrangements for additional services that help patient’s achieve a positive outcome.
One of the greatest ways that case manager nurses use their skills is by researching medical procedures and analyzing data for patients. For example, if a patient requires a special surgery that their current healthcare provider does not cover, case management nurses can prepare and submit data to someone qualified to make a decision on whether the insurance company or another agency will pay for the procedure that the patient needs.
It is relatively easy to certify in case management nursing. Case manager nurses are registered nurses with additional coursework in nursing. Employers generally require a bachelor’s degree in nursing for this position. There are several education routes to reach the bachelor’s degree. Some obtain diplomas or associate’s degree before earning the bachelor’s degree.
A registered nurse can become a case manager nurse by participating in additional educational courses from online or traditional campus colleges and universities. Programs may be completed in as little as one year.
A few of the possible courses may include Quality Measures, Legal and Ethical Issues in Case Management, Case Management Process, and Designing Case Management Models.
Most certifying bodies require at least 2 year of field related experience, 30 hours of continuing education in the area of case management, and 2,000 clinical practice hours in case management nursing before allowing nurses to sit for the certification examination.
A few of the certifying bodies include the American Nursing Credentialing Center and The American Case Management Association. Nurses that receive this credential must recertify after a certain amount of time—usually every 5 years.
Nurse case managers have the potential to make very substantial salaries. They have the freedom to work in many settings, including hospital, community, and outpatient settings. They provide services for rehabilitation facilities, hospitals, worker’s comp providers, doctors, insurance companies, specialists, and home health agencies.
Once becoming a RN Case Manager, nurses can expect to make a nursing salary of $55,000 to $75,000 annually. Worker’s compensation case manager nurses usually make the least amount of money, but they have the potential to make additional wages with additional hours of services. The top case management nurses who work in agencies such as corporate insurance offices can earn wages over $75,000 annually.
The salary that these nurses receive depends greatly on experience, location, and skill. Many nurses who want to make the highest wages make the decision to become travel nurses. Travel nurses usually make more money than other nurses do because they travel to locations where there is a shortage of certified personnel. In addition to the high salaries, travel nurses can receive signing bonuses and relocation assistance—not to mention attractive retirement plans.
The outlook for case manager nursing jobs are excellent. The outlook for all areas of nursing is very promising. A 10% increase in the need for certified nurses is expected over the next 10 years. The increasing number of baby boomers needing services from the healthcare system contributes to the increasing need for case manager nurses. These aging individuals will require healthcare treatments and procedures, and they need professional case manager nurses to take care of them.
Case manager nurses build lasting relationships with their patients and their family members. By formulating relationships with their patients, case manager nurses have a stake in the overall health of each of their patients. Case manager nurses also have the ability to choose the environment in which they want to work.
