ACTIVITIES AND PERCEIVED OUTCOMES OF NURSE CASE MANAGERS: BUILDING A CASE MANAGEMENT MODEL FOR RURAL HOSPITALS (ADVOCACY, QUALITY ASSURANCE).
Contributors: Medical College of Georgia.
Published: 1996
Number of pages: 177
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.
Description: The primary purpose of this study was to describe the activities and perceived outcomes of nurse case managers in a rural hospital setting and the relationship of nurse case managers' education, experience, and age to activities and perceived outcomes. Nurse case managers (N = 302) in non-federal, rural hospitals listed in the American Hospital Association's (1995) guide to U.S. hospitals were surveyed using an investigator-developed instrument. Psychometric qualities of the instrument were determined as part of the study. Descriptive, correlational, and multivariate statistics were used to analyze the data.

Results indicated that individual advocacy, teaching, and clinical practice were the most frequent activities. The most frequent pattern of activities reflected assessment and coordination of community resources through an advocacy role for the client while performing managed care/quality assurance activities. A high percentage of respondents agreed that their activities resulted in patient satisfaction (95%), reduced fragmentation of care (94%), reduced length of stay (89%), and increased job satisfaction (88%). Other significant (p$\geq$.05) findings indicated: (a) ADN, BSN, and MSN case managers engaged in more teaching than nurse case managers with diplomas, (b) system advocacy was higher for MSN than for diploma, ADN, or BSN case managers, and (c) experienced nurse case managers engaged in more clinical practice than inexperienced nurse case managers.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 57-12, Section: B, page: 7446.

Thesis (PH.D.)--MEDICAL COLLEGE OF GEORGIA, 1996.

School code: 0305.