How to Become a Case Management Nurse

Case Management Nurse

Patients receiving long-term treatment are cared for by case management nurse practitioners. A case management nurse practitioner’s work focuses on fully assessing a patient’s condition and needs from medical, social, and psychological perspectives, and appropriately coordinating care.

Case Management Nurse Career

To ensure that patients receive the care required, case managers coordinate with agencies to facilitate additional care that may be needed for a patient.

With additional education, case managers may be able to become case management administrators and lead case manager departments. Case management nurses also serve as liaisons between different agencies and facilities to ensure that each patient receives the necessary treatment. Matching patients with appropriate care programs require knowledge of medical and social environments. Case managers often work with a special demographic (i.e., cancer or long-term care patients) and may be employed in a variety of inpatient and outpatient settings as well as long-term care facilities or community environments

Case Management Nurse Education

The path to becoming a case manager begins with becoming a registered nurse (RN). This may be accomplished by obtaining an associate or bachelor’s degree in nursing (BSN). After completion of a nursing program, the nurse will need to successfully complete the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) then apply for licensure as a registered nurse through your state.

There are two routes for case management nursing education programs. One option is to obtain a Masters in Nursing Degree in case management from an accredited university or case management nursing education program. Offered at a variety of schools across the country, most programs require 36 credit hours for completion. Program curriculum focuses on the real-life application of case management principles with a preceptor and emphasizes the continuum of care and client advocacy.

The second option, as a RN, is to work 2,000 hours in case management, and have two years of experience as a full-time RN and then sit for the Nursing Case Management Certification Exam from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Exam components include content around professional foundations, care coordination, quality management, and health promotion. The Commission for Case Manager Certification (CCMC) also offers a credential, board-certified case manager (CCM) for RNs with supervised field experience in case management.

Getting a job in case management without a master’s degree may not be that difficult, however employers may require a few years of patient bedside care in med-surg, critical care, or require the nurse to work a set number of months under the supervision of a CCM.

Regardless of the certification sought, the CCMC cites that the CCM certification has a positive impact on CCMs careers, with employers finding value in it, as well.. An additional benefit that typically results is a compensation increase, which often prompts many nurses in this role to seek certification.

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