CM credentials: it's quickly becoming a case of when, not if you must.

Many case managers feel pressured by an increasingly competitive job market to take advantage of the recent proliferation in case management credentials and degree programs. And data suggest that credentialed and better-educated case managers can bring home significantly higher salaries. Even so, some experts are critical of the trend toward raising the educational requirements for some of the top case management credentials. At issue is whether the bachelor of science in nursing should be regarded as a minimum standard for the practice of case management. Most experts agree, however, that having a credential indicates that a case manager is attempting to broaden his or her base of knowledge and stay current with trends in quality and patient care.