Debra Dansbee second career changed more than just her own life.

She knew pretty early on in her nursing career that she’d made the right choice in going back to school after 20 years in human resource management.

As one particular night wore on, she knew something wasn’t going right for a patient.

She called a rapid response team and found her patient was struggling with pulmonary embolisms.

“If that goes undetected, that could kill you. That’s when I realized the kind of difference I could make in someone’s life.”

Debra is now a nurse case manager. We caught up with her to ask about what her job is like:

What does a nurse case manager do?

Social workers work closely with people who have social barriers to discharge: homelessness, IV drug use, behavioral needs. RN case managers work with patients on the medical side, to make sure they have the right medications going home, that home health is arranged, that they are getting transferred to a skilled nursing facility if necessary. We are looking at a case from the medical standpoint.

Both roles overlap on a daily basis with both modalities playing a role in patient care, depending on the need.

The teamwork is awesome. We’re constantly picking each other’s brain and what’s nice is that we’re never alone in the department. On a difficult case, you can reach out to colleagues, and someone who is more seasoned or has had a similar experience may have an answer. It’s a very collaborative environment but we also work autonomously as well.

Why did I move to case management?

I was looking for a challenge and I knew it would be opportunity to grow and learn. I also have several friends in nursing fiends said there are so many different ways you could practice, from the bedside to other areas. I spent almost four years at the bedside, with home health, assisted living, ortho, neuro and adult medical surgical, and came to case management about three years ago.

I always wondered what happened after discharge and why patients would be readmitted. I liked that I would have a place in the continuity of care that goes beyond discharge from the hospital.

I love the fact I’m constantly evolving and learning and putting pieces together. I also get to know patients a little better because they really open up about what’s going on outside of their illness.  

I also love providing education to patients. After they get a diagnosis of congestive heart failure or diabetes, I enjoy being able to share with them how they can help take steps to control their new disease and monitor for signs/symptoms to manage it better to report to their medical doctors.  Continuing to encourage healthy habits helps allow a person to have better understanding about the disease process and gives them hope to live with the new disease.  Education does empower them to take control of own health so they can have a better quality of life.

It literally was starting a brand-new career because going from business to nursing was very different. It was scary and exciting at same time. It also was stressful, but in a good way that made you feel alive. I found that 30 percent of my classmates were on their second career was well – some of them just didn’t know enough about what they wanted when they were in their 20s, or some were stay at home moms who came back once their kids were raised.

I did. About six weeks after a patient discharged from TMC and later passed away, the family sent a letter, thanking me for making the time more peaceful for their relative. We did all we could to honor that patient’s wishes and make them as comfortable as possible, and it is important to me that we be able to shape someone’s experience in that way.

Know someone who would make a great social worker or case manager?

TMC Health is hiring! Check out our careers page at https://jobs.tmcaz.com/