Nurse case managers track patients’ medical records, bills, and treatment schedules to ensure accurate and timely services. To become a nurse case manager, one needs at least a bachelor’s degree in nursing, national licensing exam, and experience working with patients. After obtaining RN credentials, one can gain experience in the field and take specialized training courses before becoming a certified nurse case manager. Continuing education courses can lead to clinical nurse specialist credentials.
Nurse case managers are essential members of healthcare teams in hospitals, clinics, doctors’ offices, and home health businesses. They keep track of patients’ medical records, bills, treatment schedules and other important documents to ensure they receive accurate and timely services. A person who wants to become a nurse case manager usually needs to earn at least a bachelor’s degree in nursing, pass a national licensing exam, and gain experience working directly with patients to qualify for the position. Additional requirements to become a nurse case manager are region-specific, but most professionals need to pass additional certification tests before starting to work unsupervised.
The first step to becoming a nurse case manager is to obtain registered nurse (RN) credentials. An individual can choose to complete a two-year associate or four-year bachelor’s degree program in preparation for the licensure test, although most future case managers will opt for a bachelor’s degree. While enrolled in nursing school, the student receives detailed instruction on various topics related to the profession. A graduate can take a national test to become an RN and start applying for entry-level hospital jobs.
A new RN who wants to become a nurse case manager will often start their career in another nursing position to gain hands-on experience in the field. Most new nurses start out in emergency rooms and critical care centers, where they are exposed to many different types of patients suffering from any number of conditions. An experienced nurse can determine if they want to do case management in a specific specialty, such as pediatrics, oncology, or acute care, and ask hospital administrators about how to enter the field.
Depending on the region and hospital, an RN may need to take specialized training courses before becoming a nurse case manager. A person who is able to obtain a position usually receives formal training from established case managers for several months to learn about policies and techniques. After meeting training requirements, an RN can take a certification exam administered by a regional or national board of directors to officially become a nurse case manager.
A successful nurse may decide to pursue continuing education courses to earn clinical nurse specialist (CNS) credentials. As a CNS, an individual can take on important administrative functions. He or she can help create new hospital policies and determine how to improve current case management practice.
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