Here's how you can stay positive as a case manager in the face of adversity.

Practice empathy to understand and connect with clients and colleagues. By acknowledging their challenges and emotions, you can foster a supportive environment and maintain a compassionate perspective.

Establish clear boundaries to maintain work-life balance. This helps prevent burnout, allowing you to recharge and approach each day with a positive and refreshed mindset.

Setting boundaries and expectations from the start helps prevent burnout as well as helping your client/patient not become frustrated or overwhelmed during the working process. Communicating these during an initial assessment and maintaining them throughout follow up is a key to success.

Take time to celebrate small and large successes. Recognizing achievements, no matter how minor, boosts morale and reinforces a positive outlook amidst challenges

Celebrate your client/patient for their achievement, and celebrate your ability to successfully empower them through change. We see readmissions in the hospital ER setting, which can be daunting and sometimes leave you asking “why”. But the time that person comes in and has taken steps or is ready to take steps toward change is what “fills my cup”. Recently this happened with a patient who I had seen twice in the last 30 days. This was her third admission, and I was thrilled to learn that she had taken control of her health and done the outpatient follow up we had talked about previously. I made sure to celebrate her steps in that moment, and it made her day and mine.

Build a strong support network of colleagues, friends, and mentors. Sharing experiences and seeking advice helps you navigate difficult situations and maintain emotional resilience.

Engage in regular reflection to assess your experiences and growth. Journaling or meditation can provide clarity, helping you stay grounded and positive despite adversity.

As a social worker, I’m trained to meet people where they’re at. This also translates into meeting situations where they’re at. You have to be able to adapt quickly and shift gears in the hospital setting quickly. Sometimes this means I’m meeting with a patient regarding homelessness, then shifting to quickly see a family who just lost a loved one. Maybe I’m talking with a patient and processing a new diagnosis, then running over to help my RN case manager navigate a complex discharge. If you can’t adapt, you won’t make it.

I find that remembering the "why" helps a lot. Why did I get into this line of work? What did I want to achieve? Reflecting on how and when your why was achieved usually keeps me grounded.