I’m interested in furthering my education, but not sure what the correct path is for me. What are some of my options?

Question:

Dear Donna,

I am a utilization review coordinator and case manager for a leading HMO, assigned to skilled nursing facilities. I have been an RN for five years. Prior to being a case manager, I was a coordinator for a skilled nursing facility and a hospice intake nurse. I don’t have any acute experience and I don’t really see my career going in that direction. My strength is really in case management. I am interested in furthering my career and I have been looking into getting a master’s degree. I have considered being a nurse practitioner, but I don’t know if that would be the correct path for me. What are some other options?

Camille

Dear Donna replies:

Dear Camille,

You have a great background and can have a very successful career in nursing without any acute care experience. Case management is a hot and growing field and can lead to other areas of “nontraditional” nursing in the future!

Getting a master’s degree is a smart thing to do. I’m not sure why you’d consider an advanced practice degree, if the clinical route isn’t for you. Why not consider majors such as healthcare management and healthcare information management? Find a program with a curriculum that is interesting and exciting and make it work for you.

Also, you should work on getting certified in case management. Hopefully, you belong to the Case Management Society of America (www.cmsa.org). If not, join and become active. You’ll learn more about certification on their website. (http://www.cmsa.org/Individual/Education/AccreditationCertification/tabid/209/Default.aspx)

Best wishes,
Donna