CMSA Today - Issue 4, 2021

TRAVEL CASE MANAGEMENT

TRAVEL CASE MANAGEMENT: A NEW FIELD FOR MILLENNIAL AND EMPTY NESTER CASE MANAGERS BY JENNY QUIGLEY-STICKNEY, RN, MSN, MHA, MA, CCM, ACM-RN, CPHM

N urses and social workers have been drawn to the travel case management field during the pandemic to help fill a need to quickly transition trained case managers into vacant slots in acute care and throughout the continuum of care. Case managers help manage the throughput and help transition patients to the accurate level of care. This new field in case management allows nurses and social workers to quickly change positions, relocate to new states and provide nurse and social work case manag ers with the opportunity to advance skills, develop new skills and provide competent case managers to fill needed positions within the case management millieu. Many young case managers and those new to the field are drawn to these positions to gain entry level into case management programs once only accessed after years in case management. Case management nursing assignments are available from coast to coast across all fifty states. Case managers interested in this field can experience the adventure of travel while building their resume, coordinating patient care and providing patient support through the transitions of care. Case managers will ing to explore this work must have a BSN or MSN, approximately 2-5 years acute care experience, be certified as a CCM or ACM, be willing to acquire a compact license, or state license in which they will be practicing, be ready to learn about the nurse or social work practice act in the state they are relo cating to for work and maintain a can-do, flexible work style to readily fit into a new work setting in each new travel assignment.

What type of nurse or social worker gravitates to this type of position? Those new to the field, willing to try on new roles, learn and advance their careers. Those who wish to transition from a staff position to

expand their horizon and assume leader ship positions and empty nesters wishing to travel, learn new systems, technology and change their perspective on case man agement work. While researching this new

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CMSA TODAY

Issue 4 • 2021