The introduction of case management on a rehabilitation floor

An exchange for 1 day a week between a clinical nurse specialist and a lecturer gave rise to the opportunity to evaluate the introduction of case management on a newly created rehabilitation floor at an elderly care hospital. The aims of the study were to examine the feelings and concerns of new case managers, their conception of case management and their perceived educational needs. Qualitative research methods were employed to achieve the aims. Rigour was addressed, in part, through concurrent analysis of data with data collection, which encouraged probing of issues important to research participants. Thematic categories are presented under the headings: 'structure' and 'process'. The data collected revealed vividly that, as with any change, the people involved experienced anxieties and/or confusion over their new roles, but that some of the problems arose from the relocation of staff when the rehabilitation floor was established. Despite these difficulties, there was general enthusiasm for the potential of case management.