Remote work is the biggest trend, and it’s not just for those with a business background. A recent survey found 58% of Americans work from home at least one day a week across all industries, including nursing. As a nurse, there are many remote jobs you can choose from, including remote nurse case management.
To help you decide if you should apply for nurse case management roles or choose a different type of remote nursing, let’s dive into what a nurse case manager does, how much you can expect to make, and what a typical work day looks like. Read until the end for case manager roles that are hiring.
What is nurse case management?
Case management is an ideal role for a nurse who is organized and enjoys managing many moving parts. As a nurse case manager, you are assigned a certain number of patients. Your job is to coordinate their treatments and appointments with different medical professionals. Usually, these patients have a chronic illness, and many case managers work with cancer patients.
Often, these nurses are employed by insurance companies and big hospitals. Since much of the role can be done from a computer, nurse case management is an easy field to find remote work in.
As a nurse case manager coordinates treatment and healthcare, they are responsible for communicating with the patient, health providers, and family. They also ensure the standard of care is adequate and monitor the progress of patients. As needed, they adjust the treatment options for each patient.
Qualifications
Like with most RN jobs, the prerequisites to become a remote nurse case manager are an ADN or BSN degree. Computer literacy and a BLS/CPR certification are also required. Nurse case managers should possess an active RN license that’s valid in the employer’s state.
In remote roles, especially in cities like Charlotte that border multiple states, a NLC compact RN license, which lets you work in many states instead of one, makes you a more attractive candidate for interstate employers.
Along with these basic requirements, there’s some other qualifications that employers search for. The first is an RN-BC in a specialty area related to the job. For example, a nurse case manager who manages cancer patients’ cases might benefit from a RN-BC in oncology nursing.
It may also help to have your CMGT-BC, a certification specifically for case management, or RN experience in a previous case management role.
Salary
According to Payscale.com, the average nurse case manager makes $78,063 annually in the United States. When you factor in bonuses and other compensation, nurse case managers can make anywhere from $62,000 to $101,000 on average.
There are opportunities to make above $101,000 in certain specialized nurse case manager roles or after you have significant experience in the field.
A typical work day
Many remote nurse case managers work 8-5 or 9-6 shifts, making their work schedules more similar to office workers than shift workers in healthcare. This consistent schedule, along with working from home, make the position ideal for parents and others with significant life responsibilities.
While working, some tasks a remote case manager might tackle include:
Scheduling appointments and treatments for patients
Reminding patients about their appointments
Checking in with patients to monitor the treatment efficacy
Collaborating with many healthcare providers for coordinated case
Adjusting treatment plans and care options as needed
When a case manager works remotely, they spend most of that time behind a computer screen. For a better idea of what a typical work day looks like a case manager, check out this vlog from a remote nurse youtuber:
How to get a remote nurse case management role
If a remote nurse case management role interests you, there are some things you can do to stand out. Our ultimate guide to landing remote nursing roles discusses these features in more details, but the cliffs note version includes:
Demonstrate soft skills remote employers look for, such as independence and being a self starter
Familiarity with virtual communication technologies like Slack and remote healthcare technologies
Previous case management experience, even if in an unofficial capacity in a RN job in a different field, or a case management certification
A common misconception is that you have to have remote work experience or past case management experience to get a remote nurse case management role.
In reality, there are many transferable skills from in-person roles and other nursing specialties that can land you an interview.
Nurse case management roles hiring right now
To give you a better idea of the tasks, salaries, and employers of nurse case managers, check out these two jobs that are currently hiring:
Case Management Clinical Operations Nurse: in this remote role, a licensed RN with a compact license will review inpatient and outpatient medical services according to established policies and compliance guidelines. The estimated pay ranges from $32-$52 an hour and the job includes medical, dental, and vision insurance, a 401K, and other benefits.
RN Case Manager for Home Health: in this in-person role, a licensed RN will provide case management services in a home health setting. This includes managing appointments and providing follow-up nursing care for patients. Pay is not listed by employer, but the job includes a generous benefit package.
Interested in applying to these jobs and other remote nurse case management roles? Download the HireMe Healthcare app. In less than a half hour, you can apply to these and many similar roles for free.