Interview by Jenny Quigley-Stickney RN MSN MHA MA CCM ACM-RN CPHM

There is no doubt that COVID-19 has necessitated an environment of rapid change in the healthcare landscape, driving patient care delivery systems beyond traditional management of length of stay, bed capacity, and slower adoption of some technologies. The pandemic created an immediate need to meet the complexities around care coordination for hospitalized patients ensuring safe and sustainable pathways beyond the acute care setting. Now more than ever, the expertise of Case Management is being leveraged and at the forefront of care delivery. Addressing length of stay challenges, enhancing collaboration, and integrating technological concepts have been and will be paramount to ensuring patients remain at the center of care.

Jenny Quigley-Stickney

What type of nurse or social worker gravitates to this type of position? Those new to their career, willing to try on new roles, learn and advance careers. Those who wish to transition from a staff position to expand their horizon and assume leadership positions and empty nesters wishing to travel, learn new systems, technology and change their perspective on case management work.  While researching this new career option I met two young millennials who have chosen to advance their careers in this field.

The first is Charlene Ralmazan, who began her career in California as a nursing assistant. In this role she became interested in hospice and end of life care management. Charlene began working with the hospice Case Manager who taught her about the field. Charlene fell in love with this role and went back to school to educate herself in nursing. After several years in acute care, Charlene returned to hospice and educated herself as a Case Manager for hospice. Charlene was then drawn back to the field of acute care hospital Care Management program. She then started travel Case Mananer. Charlene worked her first travel assignment in California which allowed her to utilize her California license and knowledge of the California standards of care and practice for nursing. As Charlene developed her work for AMN Healthcare travel company she learned that prepping for a new travel assignment required anywhere from 2-3 months to prep. Charlene would choose the assignment and state she wished to visit then had to prepare by applying for licensing if needed or utilizing the nurse licensure compact to acquire a license for the new position. Charlene then prepped to understand any variations in the state for standards of professional case management practice and nursing standards of care.

 

The second case manager interviewed was a young woman on her first travel assignment from Louisiana. Sacorra Lawrence is a BSN nurse who began her career in Shreveport, New Orleans. Sacorra originated as a med surgical nurse moved into urology nursing who then evolved into a trauma medical surgical nurse. Sacorra moved to Baton Rouge working in a trauma center and then to Osher Medical for contract nursing. This is where she became interested in Case Management and began the training needed to become a professional travel nurse.  While Saccorra worked at this facility with Case Management she took the time to learn about field. This sparked her interest, and she began studying to become certified as a Case Manager. Sacorra moved to Massachusetts and took a position in acute care with Meleeo Case Management travel company for her first position. Sacorra found it helpful researching her first travel position in Case Management.

Both millennial case managers interviewed stressed the importance of flexibility and willingness if this career path is chosen. One of the most important aspects of this preparation includes choosing the best travel case management company for you to begin this career. Establishing a good and supportive working relationship not just with your chosen travel company recruiter but with the travel assignment leadership you choose. You have to understand that you have two corporate administrators to develop reporting styles to be successful. If choosing this avenue for Case Management career development the benefits can be enormous providing you the benefits of travel while performing the job you love.

 

This article was published in the CMSA Today Magazine.