Here’s another great nursing specialty that could easily be turned into a nursing business- Case Management or case manager. With the nursing field changing dramatically, the demand for nurses in case management has skyrocketed.
Case management is not the most highly paid of all registered nursing positions in a healthcare setting, but it is a high paying specialty as a self employed consultant.
Don’t confuse case management with care managers, there is a difference. Nurse Care Managers visit patients or clients in their homes, Nurse Case Managers do managing of a patient’s case from afar and don’t usually make visits to patients homes. Read a previous post I wrote on Geriatric Care Managers.
Job Description
According to CMSA, the term “case management” is defined as “collaborative process of assessment, planning, facilitation and advocacy for options and services to meet an individuals health needs through communication and available resources to promote quality cost-effective outcomes.”
Case managers can work with patients of all ages and diagnoses, but they usually specialize in a particular area, such as HIV/AIDS, rehabilitation or geriatrics.
Case management is a process that manages a client wellness through advocacy, communication, education, and being able to identify services that are available to them.
You need good organization skills and a knowledge of community resources and services available for each individual client.
Case Management nurses can work for
Long Term Care Homes
Worker’s Compensation Companies
Hospitals & Private Medical Practices
Home Healthcare
Self employment as consultants, reviewers, independent contractors
Rehab Centers
Behavioral Health Programs
How to Become a Case Management Nurse
As a licensed Registered Nurse, you must have at least one year of clinical practice, good communication skills with both patients and professionals.
And because of the many projects a case manager must deal with at once, it is important to be able to multitask, have a high energy level, and a strong work ethic.
Obtaining Certification for Case Management
As a registered nurse, you can take the examination through the American Case Managers Association. They specializes in certification for hospital case managers. Testing is done at a testing site not online but you can register online to take the test.
Commission for Case Managers Certification also offers certification in case managing and is the better known of the two. This exam is also taken at a testing site near your area. Here’s a link to their guide for certification. See if you meet the requirements for testing.
RN Case Manager Salaries
There is a need practically everywhere in the United States now for case managers, as the healthcare field has greatly expanded compared to previous years. Currently, the median salary for a RN case manager is between $65,000 and $75,000 per year in a hospital or clinic setting but as a self employed nurse case manager you could earn much more.
This is a field you would want to start off in a hospital or clinic setting first as a nurse case manager, than moving to starting your own nursing business. This would give you an opportunity to see how the system works and help you to make contacts and leads for your own business.
Book Recommendations
by Finkelman. This is a new book not yet released but will be available by July 2010.
The Case Manager’s Handbook, Fourth Edition
Here’s to your case management success!
Tina
P.S. Don’t forget to check out the SBN recommends store for other great books and software for nurse entrepreneurs.
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{ 2 comments }
Dear Tina, I am interested in Case Management. I have been an RN for 22yrs. As I have been researching this field I have noticed that you can’t get certified unless you have at least 2000 hrs of experience in Case Management. Most places who have open positions they want you to be certified. How do you get the experience to take the exam if employers want you to already be certified. I am looking into Kaplan’s online program but I don’t want to put out that much money if I can’t take the exam when I am finished. Please tell me what I need to do. I look forward to hearing from you.
Thank You,
Jackie
Hi Jackie,
Thanks for the questions! I hope this helps.
If you’ve been working as an RN for 22 years, you’re sure to have some kind of case management experience. Where have you been working, in a hospital or clinic? If so, you do know something about case managing but it won’t be enough for certification.
I would take the courses with Kaplin, it shows you are interested in case management and provides you with a certificate which should carry some weight when it comes time for an interview.
By taking courses and having 22 years experience you should be able to get a job in case management without being certified. You can stress in your interview that your goal is to become certified once you have your hours in.
Have you done anything in Home Health? You will get case management experience working here. You are the one respnsible for your patients health care needs from assessing to implementing to evaluating outcomes and coordinating care with other disciplines such as physicans, insurance companies, physical therapy and all other services involved with the patients care. You will see your patient from admission to discharge. They don’t require you to be certified and you can get your hours in to become certified.
All the best,
Tina
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