40 Contact Hours | ANCC-Aligned | Offered by the Workers’ Compensation Case Management Institute™
Workers Compensation Case Management Institute
WCNS™ Career Accelerator
Workers’ Compensation Nurse Specialist (WCNS™) Career Accelerator
Nursing is changing — and so are the opportunities available to you. The WCNS™ Career Accelerator is the nation’s first and only structured education program designed to prepare RNs to step into the specialized, high-demand field of workers’ compensation case management.
This program is more than theory. It’s a guided pathway into a lucrative and flexible career, designed to equip you with the knowledge, confidence, and credentials to thrive in a field most nurses never even hear about until it’s too late.
What You’ll Gain
- Specialized Expertise: A complete foundation in workers’ compensation law, claims, case management, and return-to-work strategies.
- Practical Skills: Hands-on tools to conduct assessments, build care plans, document legally and ethically, and manage complex workplace injuries.
- Career Readiness: A clear roadmap to transition from traditional nursing roles into a flexible, well-compensated specialty.
- Professional Recognition: Completion of the WCNS™ Career Accelerator distinguishes you as one of the first nurses in the nation with formal training in workers’ compensation case management. This specialty preparation is not available in traditional nursing programs or standard CE offerings.
Graduates emerge with a marketable credential from the Workers’ Compensation Case Management Institute, signaling to employers, insurers, and industry leaders that you have the skills and expertise to manage complex workers’ compensation cases with confidence.
By completing this program, you’ll position yourself at the forefront of an emerging national specialty, gaining an edge in securing opportunities that reward advanced knowledge, leadership, and practical results in patient outcomes and cost-effective care.
Course Structure & Learning Experience
The WCNS™ Career Accelerator is organized into seven modules (40 hours total) that build logically from the basics to advanced professional practice.
- Foundations of Workers’ Compensation – legal framework, claim lifecycle, key stakeholders.
- Clinical Case Management – comprehensive assessments, care planning, common occupational injuries.
- Advocacy & Communication – ethical nurse advocacy, communication with insurers, employers, and workers.
- Legal, Regulatory & Ethical Compliance – privacy, documentation, and navigating ethical dilemmas.
- Financial & Operational Strategies – cost-effective care delivery, reimbursement models, and technology.
- Return-to-Work & Disability Management – transitional duty programs, disability classifications, vocational rehab.
- Professional Development & Outcomes – certifications, growth planning, outcomes measurement, and data use.
Every lesson includes reflection prompts, guided activities, real-world case studies, and short practice quizzes — all designed to reinforce your learning and build confidence step by step.
Assessments & Support
To ensure mastery, you’ll complete:
- Lesson Check-Ins: Small practice quizzes that confirm your progress.
- Capstone Project: A simulated case study requiring you to design a full return-to-work plan with multi-stakeholder communication strategies.
These assessments mirror what you’ll actually do in practice, so by the end of the course, you won’t just understand workers’ comp nursing — you’ll be ready to do it.
Course Values & Philosophy
We believe in preparing nurses not only to succeed, but to lead in workers’ compensation case management. Our values include:
- Excellence: Evidence-based instruction aligned with ANCC standards.
- Ethics: A clear focus on patient advocacy while balancing legal and financial realities.
- Empowerment: Equipping nurses to move into a career path that offers flexibility, independence, and financial stability.
- Practicality: Every lesson is designed to give you skills you can apply immediately in the field.
Why This Institute? Why Now?
Most CE programs focus on general, facility-based case management — but none provide structured education specifically for workers’ compensation nursing. That gap ends here.
The Workers’ Compensation Case Management Institute (WCCM Institute) was founded to set the standard for this recession-proof specialty. With the WCNS™ Career Accelerator, we are building the first national pathway for nurses to achieve recognition in this field.
As part of Merrick Medical Management, a company listed on the federal General Services Administration (GSA) schedule, the Institute operates with the same standard of professionalism and compliance expected at the national level. This affiliation strengthens the recognition of your training and demonstrates the Institute’s alignment with federal contracting requirements and healthcare best practices.
Meet the Course Creator
Amy R. Johnston
MSN, APRN, FNP-BC, CCM
Amy Johnston is a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner, Certified Case Manager, and entrepreneur with over two decades of nursing experience spanning acute care, advanced practice, and case management.
As the founder of the Workers’ Compensation Case Management Institute, Amy has:
- Bridged clinical practice and case management through thousands of hours in direct patient care and coordination.
- Designed curricula aligned with ANCC standards to advance nursing specialties.
- Built a reputation as a thought leader in workers’ compensation nursing, advocating for formal recognition of the field.
Her unique blend of clinical expertise, entrepreneurial vision, and commitment to nursing advancement ensures that every learner who enrolls in the WCNS™ Career Accelerator gains world-class instruction backed by deep real-world experience.
Your Next Step
If you’re an RN ready to:
- Leave behind burnout and low pay,
- Enter a flexible, specialized, and financially rewarding field,
- And gain structured preparation that positions you as a leader in a growing specialty…
Then the WCNS™ Career Accelerator was built for you.
Register For The Course With Us
The WCNS™ Career Accelerator has been developed in alignment with ANCC continuing education standards and specialty practice guidelines. Application for ANCC CE accreditation and formal specialty recognition is in progress. While official CE award and specialty certification endorsement are pending, this program delivers a complete, evidence-based curriculum that prepares nurses with the knowledge, tools, and skills to transition into workers’ compensation case management. All participants will be among the first nationally trained nurses in this emerging specialty, positioning them ahead of the curve as formal recognition becomes available.