Interested in becoming a nurse? Get acquainted with the job description of a nurse case manager in the following article, and think about becoming a nurse from an all new perspective hereafter.
It was during yore days, when you thought of a nurse as a 30-something woman clad in a white skirt and blouse, holding a tray of operation tools alongside a doctor, and this was all she was supposed to do – handing over the implements to the physician while in the operation theater. However, today, as astonishing as it may seem, nursing involves direct patient health care, wherein, nurses not only administer, but manage and medicate too.
Nurse case managers are health care professionals who specialize in aiding patients with their medical requirements, right from the day they’re admitted to the day they’re discharged. They ensure efficient health care services, involving planning, medication doses, administration of treatments, assessment of outcomes, and analysis of the entire procedure of medication. A case management nurse’s duty isn’t limited to providing medication, but many such nurses may also provide emotional support to their patients. Here’s more on the same.
Job Profile: Nature of Work
As briefly stated above, the key duty of nurse case managers is to perform nursing care to patients from the moment they’re admitted to the day they’re discharged. Most of them are Registered Nurses (RNs), and are specifically appointed to aid patients with health care services. Their daily duty involves managing new admissions, devising plans with regards to how to carry out the process of medication and care to the patients, and how to analyze the total effectiveness of the patients’ care regimen. Nurse case managers serve in health agencies, nursing homes, hospitals, and private clinics.
Many of them also provide consultancy for health insurance organizations. Thus, following is a list of the various duties performed by case managers:
- Provide nursing care as Registered Nurse.
- Ensure efficient health care service to patients.
- Supervision of nursing staff.
- Devising plans to carry out prompt nursing.
- Provide care to patients all throughout the period between patient’s admission and discharge.
- Provide not only medical services but emotional support as well.
Pay Scale
In accordance with world-wide statistics, the average salary of a case management nurse is somewhere between $54,000 – $75,000 on an annual basis. While those working in health care management organizations appear to earn more, those serving in home health care happen to earn a little less in comparison. Moreover, pay scale in nursing, like any other reputable field of service, hugely depends upon the years of relevant work experience.
While those having just an experience of 2-3 years earn approximately $60,000 annually, those having a rich experience of more than 20 years in the field of case management make good $75,000 – $80,000 per annum. All in all, jobs in nursing are expected to grow enormously in the next few years, since medicine proves to be one of the most lucrative careers in America.
Educational Requirements
To start with, the first step towards becoming a nurse case manager is to complete 4 years of Bachelor’s degree in nursing, followed by certification in Case Management. The largest certification board in the US is the American Nurses Credentialing Center, by means of which, a nurse can become board certified, and specialize in many other sub-specialties of case management. Earning a nurse case management certification will give the aspirant an edge over other applicants, as certifications depict that the aspirant is detail-oriented and much more competent than others in competition.
Note that becoming a nurse in the field of case management may require a Registered Nurse license in many workplaces. The medical fraternity locks up uncountable opportunities for those willing to work hard to shape a career in this field. the information discussed above clearly construes to the fact that the job of a nurse case manager is, indeed, a significant one. If you’re set to dedicate a few years of your life to nurse case management, there’s nothing quite like bringing an enviable salary back home!