As a nurse case manager for over 35 years, this is an exciting week as the practice is honored during case management week. Social media is erupting with posts from case managers celebrating who they are and the value we bring to the healthcare system.
Case Management Week is the time for us all to share our work and the value we bring through every entry point in healthcare.
We work with people from birth till death. We help the poor, the challenged, and the families of those with catastrophic and complex medical conditions to have a voice in their care plans.
Being a case manager was a natural progression as a critical care nurse, as I learned early on that it was my role to advocate for my patients. To help them at their lowest point by improving communication, researching resources that would meet their needs, and explaining why things go wrong or helping them celebrate when things went right.
The highlight of my career was working with my patients and their families to grow and thrive. My role is to ensure those I work with get the right care – at the right time – in the least restrictive setting – at the most cost-effective price. It has changed slightly with the infiltration of managed care into the healthcare system. Today, I don’t have much say on costs – as the payer manages costs when the contract is signed.
Today, I manage care and help people move safely from one setting to another.
Case management was the perfect complement to my nursing career. I make a difference every day in the lives of the people I care for, their families, and those I work with in various healthcare settings throughout the care continuum.
It has been my pleasure to be a nurse case manager in the complex world of healthcare. I know I have made a small mark in this world through my work, and I am grateful for that.
To read some stories of my work, click here to access my most recent special report, We are Made of our Stories – Stories from a Nurse Advocate.
To all my friends and colleagues in case management – thank you for all you do! Happy Case Management Week!
I applaud you, Anne and my peers, who began case management before it was a buzz word.
I was in the 1st group of nurses who took the initial test to become a Certified Case Manager and until a year ago, at age 80, (after 10 years of bedside nursing), did Case Management only for Injured Workers (Workers Compensation) for 38 years.
I was asked over the past years of working Injured Workers’ case management, how could I stay in that field? It was easy. As a RN, Certified Case Manager, what pleasure it gave me to help coordinate their care, get causally related treatment for them expedited and see them get on with their lives. No two cases were alike and over the years, there were probably less than 10% who were trying to get what was not related to their injury.
Now retired, I miss being an active Case Manager, but am often called upon by Case Manager peers, along with persons I know or mutual friends, what to do. I share my thoughts as a Case Manager, reminding them I am NOT a MD, directing them in an appropriate action, 100% to their own MD or a second opinion, if they are dissatisfied with their care. I do not send one to a specific MD; usually to a clinician discipline who they might not have thought about.
May ALL Case Managers enjoy their work as much as I did.
It’s been a wonderful journey working in case management since 1994. It was exciting times when we initially started to build and educate hospitals related to the specialty. I served as the first President of CMSA Arizona Chapter. Went on to serve at the national level. What a great career!
Thank you Anne for celebrating case managers, and most important, for the work you and case managers working in all settings do each day to help patients, clients, and their caregivers to achieve optimal health outcomes. Happy Case Management Week!