By Michelle Brusio, MSN, RN, CCM
During Case Management Week, we often celebrate the impact case managers make in the lives of others. But this year, I’ve been thinking about something we don’t talk about as often: what happens when the case manager feels lost?
Sometimes we spend so much time helping other people find their way that we forget to check in on ourselves. Some days, I question whether I’m doing enough for patients or my own case management team. I question whether I am making a difference. Some days, all the responsibilities feel overwhelming, and I don’t feel as confident or capable as I would like, and maybe we need to give ourselves permission to say that out loud.
Being a case manager doesn’t mean having all the answers. It doesn’t mean that every situation will have a clear solution and that every patient or client will experience the outcome we are hoping for. Sometimes our role is simply to show up, listen, advocate, make a connection, make a phone call, provide a resource, or remind someone they don’t have to navigate their circumstances alone. These things may seem small, but they matter.
I am learning that feeling uncertain doesn’t necessarily mean I’m on the wrong path or that the work isn't important to me. Sometimes it means that I am growing and evolving. Sometimes it means I need support, a new perspective, or simply permission to acknowledge that this work is hard. Other times, I wonder whether I'm missing a greater purpose.
Case management requires us to care for others, navigating systems that can be complicated, frustrating, and sometimes beyond our control. We carry stories, challenges, and emotions with us, often carrying them forward and continuing to think about them. We celebrate victories, but we also experience setbacks. Sometimes the work itself is difficult to explain. The impact of case management isn’t always immediately visible, and the role isn’t always fully understood—even within the organizations where we work.
During Case Management Week, I want to celebrate more than traditional measures of success. I want to honor and reflect on:
- The case manager who keeps showing up—even on days when they wonder whether they are doing enough.
- The case manager who listens.
- The case manager who makes one more phone call.
- The case manager who speaks up.
- The case manager who keeps searching for resources.
- The case manager who may not have every answer but keeps searching.
- The case manager who guides others through the storm while quietly navigating their own.
- And maybe most importantly, the case manager who is learning to extend the same compassion to themselves that they offer to everyone else.
We don’t have to have everything figured out to make a difference. Maybe we are finding our way while helping someone else find theirs. And perhaps that is part of what makes this work so human.
What does finding purpose in case management look like for you—especially on the days when you feel lost?
Let’s end National Case Management Week together. Join us for the live Sponsor Treasure Hunt, an interactive celebration featuring sponsor spotlights, conversation, giveaways and a final chance to connect as a community before the workweek ends. Come celebrate Case Management Week with us. Join the celebration: bit.ly/3PR89WG
Bio: Michelle Brusio, MSN, RN, CCM, has been an RN for 28 years and in case management for 22 years. She is currently the Clinical Manager for Population Health, Care Transformation Organization, and Primary Care at University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health. Michelle has experience in acute care, payer, primary care, and outpatient case management, as well as value-based programs. Michelle serves on several local boards in Harford County, Maryland. Michelle also serves on several CMSA national committees including the editorial board of CMSAToday, the Membership and DEIB Core Committees. On a personal note, Michelle is a fierce allergy mom and advocate. Michelle is also a current DNP student.