Case Manager Travel Nurse Jobs

The average salary for a nurse case manager can vary significantly, influenced by factors such as geographical location, level of experience, and the type of healthcare facility. According to data from online job and salary platforms such as Indeed, Glassdoor, and Payscale, the average salary for case management nurses in the United States is estimated to be between $70,000 and $90,000 per year. Nurses with a substantial amount of experience, advanced certifications, or additional qualifications may potentially earn a higher salary.

Nurse case managers play an integral role in coordinating patient care, primarily in healthcare settings such as hospitals, nursing homes, and other patient care facilities. They are responsible for assessing, planning, implementing, coordinating, monitoring, and evaluating the options and services required to meet an individual's health needs. These professionals use communication and resources to promote health, safety outcomes, and quality care.

RN case management duties often involve developing personalized care plans, coordinating with healthcare teams, liaising with insurance providers, and ensuring that the resources needed for the patient's treatment are available. They also play a significant role in patient advocacy, explaining procedures and treatment options to patients and their families, and making sure patients' rights are respected.

Education & License Requirements

To become a Nurse Case Manager, there are several steps and qualifications required. Initially, one must obtain a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) or an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) from an accredited school. After completing their nursing degree, they must pass the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN) to gain an active RN license.

Upon obtaining their registered nurse license, aspiring case management nurses should gain clinical nursing experience. A background in an area like critical care, emergency nursing, or long term care can be especially beneficial as these areas often require the coordination and management skills central to the case manager nurse role.

Certifications

Specializing in RN case management commonly involves obtaining additional certification. A popular choice is the Accredited Case Manager (ACM) certification offered by the American Case Management Association (ACMA). Another option is the Certified Case Manager (CCM) credential granted by the Commission for Case Manager Certification (CCMC). Both certifications attest to case management nurses' knowledge and expertise in case management.

Registered nurse case manager positions can be found across a wide array of healthcare settings. These include, but are not limited to, hospitals, nursing homes, outpatient care centers, and home healthcare services. Opportunities also exist within insurance companies and other organizations that require coordination and management of patient care. These roles are geographically diverse and can be found across the United States, in both urban and rural areas.

While compensation offers can vary greatly depending on the contract or agency offering, pay packages for traveling case manager jobs typically have four major components: hourly taxable wages, meals and incidentals, housing, and travel.

Hourly Pay

Full-time nurses working at healthcare facilities receive a salary, but most travel nursing employers offer hourly wages at a competitive weekly pay rate. Every pay package for a travel nurse must include a taxable hourly wage, and the amount can vary depending on the shift, location, and specialty required of the assignment.

Housing

Housing payments can be included in a payment from a staffing agency. This is typically offered to a travel nurse in two ways. Either the company is providing housing, or the travel nurse is taking the housing stipend. It is more beneficial for the traveler to take the housing stipend for two primary reasons. First, they will have a choice in where they stay. Everyone’s definitions of comfortable and acceptable are different. The second reason the housing stipend is more beneficial for them is that it can be given as a nontaxable amount.

Meals and Incidentals

Also known as per diems, meal and incidental stipends provide a daily budget for daily living expenses for travel nursing professionals. These standards vary depending on the cost of living in cities and states across the country.

Travel Expenses

Travel is the last portion of the pay package. Many recruiters may not even offer travel and instead put that money into the per diems or housing for travel nurses so they are receiving the benefits over the entire contract, not just at the very beginning or end of the contract.

While a travel stipend can be used to cover the cost of a flight for the traveler, it is more often than not used to subsidize the traveler's expenses to and from an travel nursing assignment. Travel expenses can be offered as a reimbursement rate per mile, though many agencies will opt to offer a flat rate to and from an assignment.

Many travel nurses find RN case management jobs through recruitment agencies and marketplaces, which means you have better access to job boards to choose your schedule, location, and salary. When you begin browsing for travel jobs, be sure to consider the housing options, the benefits, the guaranteed hours' policy, and the recruiting company’s overall reputation.

The good news is that Fusion Marketplace has everything registered nurses need when it comes to finding the perfect travel nurse jobs. Here, you have the freedom to compare benefits, packages, and staffing agencies—all in one place. So find your next registered nurse job and build your travel nursing career today.