NBCM changes requirements for the ACM™ certification

Learning objective:

At the completion of this educational activity, the learner will be able to:

• Discuss the new requirement to sit for the Accredited Case Manager (ACM™) certification.

Looking to get an ACM™ certification? In December, the American Case Management Association (ACMA) and National Board for Case Management (NBCM) announced a change to the exam eligibility requirements that may be of interest to those looking to earn ACM certification.

The NBCM now allows applicants with at least one year of full-time supervised work experience to sit for the ACM-RN (Registered Nurse) and ACM-SW (Social Work) exams. Prior to this change, candidates had to have at least two years of case management experience before they could take either exam.

“The change was made in response to the evolution of case management as a profession,” says Christine Hinrichs, communications and social media strategist for the ACMA. “The National Board for Case Management, which oversees the Accredited Case Manager exam, felt that some nurses and social workers would have the necessary expertise and knowledge to sit for the exam after only a year of full-time case management experience.”

The changing nature of case management programs may help bolster skills in a shorter time frame. “Many healthcare delivery employers provide particularly strong case management orientation and training programs accompanied with supervision,” said NBCM Board Chairman Chris Carpenter in a statement. “These programs are capable of preparing nurses and social workers for the exam after only a year of full-time case management experience.”

Jackie Birmingham, RN, BSN, MS, CMAC, a case management expert, agrees. “With the speed with which case managers need to be proficient in their jobs, by 12 months they should have a grasp of the requirements for doing the job,” she says. “And, the idea that the individual can use the certification guide as a tool to identify learning needs, having a shorter time frame should encourage nurses and social workers to get up to speed more quickly.”

Certification may help case managers stand out from their peers. According to the 2015 National Case Management Survey, the only national source of 95% confidence-level hospital case management research, 66% of hospitals report that the ACM™ credential is influential in hiring decisions,” according to information provided by ACMA.

In order to receive ACM certification, candidates must take an exam that includes a multiple-choice section and a “discipline-specific simulation component,” according to the ACM. A full list of requirements needed to sit for the exam is available on the ACMA website.

ACMA believes that nurses and social workers with 36 months of health system experience should have their Accredited Case Manager credential, ACM™, to practice Health Delivery System Case Management.