Q&A: CDI and case management salaries
Q: We are working with our compensation department to review CDI salaries. We have found that case management (CM) nurse salaries are considerably higher than our CDI salaries. Historically, a CM nurse moving to CDI would receive a salary increase or a lateral move depending upon experience; however, in our current state, a CM nurse wanting to move to CDI would have to take a salary decrease. Have other health systems experienced this discrepancy in salaries? Or is this change isolated to our health system? Additionally, is your CDI department under nursing or professional?
Response #1: We have found that clinical nursing roles versus corporate nursing roles did have a different pay structure. We are working to align them.
Response #2: Historically, CDI specialists at our organization were in a pay grade or two above the standard bedside nurse role. However, we've realized that we fell behind in the couple of years after we moved the CDI position to a professional job rather than a nursing job. We are working to get our CDI specialists back to a pay grade that is above that of the standard bedside nurse.
Response #3: We have found the CDI salaries are significantly lower than case management nurses, largely because CDI is fully remote. I have been able to hire a couple of case managers internally, despite the disparity and hit to their pay. Our justification for the lower salary is due to decreased expenses incurred working at home when compared with a daily commute to the workplace.
Response #4: I have worked at other facilities where there was a pay discrepancy with bedside RNs, however, the value of partially or fully remote work is a major benefit. Keep in mind that bedside RNs make more due to overtime as well.
Editor’s note: This question was answered by members of the ACDIS CDI Leadership Council and originally appeared in the CDI Leadership Insider, the monthly newsletter for members of the Leadership Council. For the purposes of this article, all Council member answers have been deidentified.