Hospital-based nursing case management: role clarification.

Hospital-based nursing case management as a model of healthcare delivery has substantially grown over the last 10 years. Nursing case management as a viable professional role has developed along with this trend. In an era of decreasing reimbursements and increasing accreditation requirements, hospital administrators view nurse case managers as one answer to balancing cost and quality. However, the actual role and practice of nurse case managers within the hospital setting is inconsistent and often depends on the needs and expectations of the organization, as well as the level of experience and educational preparation of the nurse case manager.