Case Management Role of the Agency RN

1. Case Management“Role of the Agency RN” Kara Szirotnyak MSN,RN,COHN-S,NLC Workers’ Compensation Program Manager VISN’s 11,19 & 23 Department of Veterans Affairs

2. Objectives Utilization of “team process” with interdisciplinary staff Develop & implement effective limited duty programs Develop mentor/preceptor programs

3. Responsibilities Case management for injuries begins at the time of the injury!!!!! And continues until the employee has returned to work and beyond………………..

4. Goals of Case Management Ensure proper care and treatment of employee Ensure medical documentation is appropriate (does the diagnosis fit the claim) Monitor case progression Guide agency actions with DOL Assist employee with integration back into the work environment

5. Goals (cont’d) Empower employee to make responsible decisions regarding their recovery Encourage the employee to maintain a lifestyle that will enhance their health and well being Maintain open lines of communications between all interdisciplinary services (DOL, primary care provider, rehab nurse, voc rehab, injured worker).

6. Occupational Health Nurses’ Role Ensure expeditious, appropriate treatment immediately post injury

7. Proactive Ergonomics Better to fix it now then later…..utilize Interviews Analysis of work sites Surveys

8. Reactive Ergonomics Post injury investigation Pre-return to limited duty Pre-return to normal duty

9. Support Your agency MUST be in full support of the injury prevention team as well as the agency RN/OHN to have a successful program!!!

10. Monitoring Strategies Compassion Communication Control Capabilities

11. Compassion Listen to what they are saying Include them in decisions regarding their job/duties Include them in their plans of care Remember..injuries aren’t always visible! How would you want to be treated???

12. Communications Maintain open lines of communication With employee…contact them for update on their care & treatment With employee’s doctors/specialists With employee’s service/supervisor

13. Control Team approach…you are an important part of the team!!!! Fit job to employee & NOT employee to job Monitor employee’s integration back into the work force. Assess employee’s work area for ergonomic appropriateness

14. Capabilities Focus on what they CAN do… not on what they CAN’T do Utilize residual capabilities. There are very few individuals that are 100% disabled Functional Capacity Testing/Evaluation

15. Employees Don’t RTW Because??!! Fear of re-injury Fear of pain recurrence Anger at employer/supervisor GONE TOO LONG syndrome Utilizing OWCP for retirement program

16. Best Intentions No matter what you do…how right you know you are….you may not achieve the desired results….Lesson learned…. Know When To Fold Them!!!!