Managed Care Nurse: Career, Training, & Certification

Managed Care Nurse

The duties of a managed care nurse include not only the traditional roles of nursing that one would expect, but also the expanded administrative duties that come from the managed health care system. Patients who seek out the services of a managed care nurse will need general care but will also need their benefits explained, and how to best utilize those benefits for the sake of them and their families. To this end, a managed care nurse will need to be able to implement prevention programs, disease management programs, and help with the overall preventive education of their patients, since there is such a tight focus on this aspect of health care in the managed care world. .
 
Salary Outlook
 
Average Annual Salary
$45,500
 
Salary Range
$32,000-$78,520
 
Work Environment
 
Because managed care nurses work under the umbrella of a larger health care organization, they can fall under the jurisdiction of whatever that organization is. Some will be placed in hospitals outright, while others will be in private practices or clinics of every size. Many will be required to work both at a front desk to help with administrative tasks, as well as in the back clinical area at the same time. This is a position that requires a higher level of office-oriented multi-tasking than some others within this field.
 
Requirements
 
Managed care nurses are required to go through rudimentary nursing programs, which can either involve a Bachelor’s degree in Nursing; or a more advanced degree for some. This will entirely depend on the state licensing requirements as well as the type of organization that the aspiring nurse is looking into. Most will require at least a year of general nursing experience, as well as some coursework that deals with healthcare administration and education. These can be completed in specialty certificate programs that fall under the category of managed care nursing, available at most current nursing schools.
 
Career Outlook
 
As there is more and more of an emphasis on preventive medicine and educational programs as part of an overall program of health in this country, the figures for managed care nurses are looking good, with a 6% growth increase over the past 10 years thus far. Though the health care industry is going through a fair amount of restructuring at the moment, this is an area that is not expected to change drastically, and remains a good bet for anyone interested in general nursing.
 
Professional Organizations
 
American Association of Managed Care Nurses
4435 Waterfront Drive
Suite 101
Glen Allen, VA 23060
Phone: (804) 747-9698
www.aamcn.org
 
National League for Nursing
61 Broadway, 33rd Floor
New York, NY 10006
Phone: (212) 363-5555
www.nln.org