Case Management Is…

Before I took a case management position, my experience was very limited while working on the floor of a small hospital.  When I applied for a position with an insurance company, my eyes were completely opened to the endless possibilities of what case management is.

Truth be known, I really didn’t even know the textbook definition of what case management was until I started studying for my certification.  While it is a wealth of knowledge of not only in nursing but education, resource management, planning, collaborating, healthcare rules and regulations, assessments, etc., case management is so much more than a textbook definition.

Case management is wearing multiple hats, multi-tasking, and navigating our complex healthcare system to make sure you have exhausted all avenues to ensure the quality and cost-effective outcomes for our patients. But case management is even more than that, it’s empowering a patient to make better healthcare decision, it’s advocating for them when no one else will or they cannot do it for themselves, it’s being there in the darkest times showing them the compassion they need and deserve and being determined and resilient to find the resources to ensure a better quality of life.  And sometimes we are the only voice they hear to get them through the day.

Case management is adapting quickly to our daily changing environment and navigating through uncertainty to ensure your patients are safe.  It’s staying on top of the latest knowledge and guidelines, working through barriers even in the most challenging circumstances.  Case management is working as a team to facilitate the best possible outcome.

Case management is working with our growing healthcare population to achieve goals they never thought they could achieve and feeling the pride our patients show when they’ve reached a milestone in spite of the many obstacles they’ve faced.

But ultimately, case managers are the unsung heroes of our healthcare system who strive day in and day out to go above and beyond in good times and bad to get the job done. Case management is a job I wish I had gotten into long before I did but so thankful to be one now.

Case management is waking up each day knowing you can make a difference!

Guest post from Terri Manayan, RN, CCM, submitted as part of our “Case Management Is… Contest” and selected as an Honorable Mention!

Terri Manayan- I’ve been a nurse for 30 years and currently live in Chapin, SC. I’ve been married to my soulmate for 27 years and we enjoy weekend hikes with our two dogs. I enjoy interior design and refinishing/re-purposing furniture. Life is what you put into it and we like to enjoy each day.