1: Select the Route of Career

The case managers of Nurse and social work case managers in an atmosphere of healthcare are commonly part of a case management team. Relying on your employer, positions may overlap in certain aspects; although, the two roles generally have different focuses. Your targets as a nurse case manager involve increasing the quality of healthcare for sufferers, finding cost-effective solutions for medical processes and decreasing the duplication of medical treatments. You might prefer a career as a social work case manager if you are more interested in giving counseling and support services. In this role, you concentrate more on addressing the psychosocial requirements of clients.

2: Having an education of Accredited Degree Program

Though the model of case-management has resemblance with both professions, career preparation varies. Case managers of Nurse require clinical expertise and knowledge of financial and regulatory components of the healthcare industry. Requirements for case manager of nurse preparation differ nationwide, but generally employers prefer to employ registered nurses, most usually with either a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) or a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN). You can complete a certificate program or even an MSN with a focus in case management in order to learn the liabilities and complexities of nurse case management.

In accordance with the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), to qualify as a social work case manager, you require completing either a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) or Master of Social Work (MSW) program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that social employees in medical settings are mostly needed to gain an MSW.

3: Experience of work as an Intern

Gaining hands-on experience can lead to the path of case-management job. As a nursing student, you might have several opportunities to conduct clinical rotations that permit you to get involve in case management. Independently, exploring the internships of case management is an option for both nurse and social work case managers. Internships are generally core parts of social work programs at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Numerous opportunities are available to do your social work internship hours in your selected area of specialization, like mental health case management.

4: Acquire the Licensure

Most case managers of nurse are registered nurses (RN), which requires a license. To acquire your RN license, you are needed to pass the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) established by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN). Since social work certification or licensure requirements differ by state, it is significant to consult your state licensing board. The Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) offers a list of state licensing boards on its website.

5: Review Certification

Various professional certifications are available in nursing and social work case management that can make you prominent in your field and lead to better employment prospects. For nursing or social work case management conducted in a hospital setting, you might acquire the Accredited Case Manager (ACM) credential offered by the American Case Management Association or become a Certified Case Manager (CCM) through the Commission for Case Manager Certification. The Credentials specific to nursing or social case management are also available, involving the Registered Nurse – Board Certified (RN-BC) credential which is being provided by the American Nurses Credentialing Center and the Certified Social Work Case Manager (C-SWCM) and the Certified Advanced Social Work Case Manager (C-ASWCM) credentials given by the NASW Credentialing Center.