Reintegration of a senior nurse

Reintegration of a senior nurse after a serious road accident

Sabine (fictional name), senior nurse, saw her life change the day she was involved in a serious road accident. Because of medical treatments and hospital stays, she was unable to work for three years. The support provided by the Groupe Mutuel case manager helped her get back on her feet.

On 28 July 2007, Sabine suffered a road accident that resulted in several weeks of hospitalisation and long months of incapacity for work. A first attempt to resume her professional activity took place in autumn 2008 but rapidly ended. The after-effects remained significant, preventing her from find a job and leading to inactivity, isolation, the introduction of a « routine », punctuated by medical consultations and treatment.

At the beginning of 2010, an improvement in her health allowed her to envisage the possibility of returning to her nursing profession. But after three years away from the labour market, Sabine had lost her bearings.

Restoring communication and trust
Groupe Mutuel, Sabine’s accident insurer, suggested that she meet with a case manager. “At the time, I felt misjudged, misunderstood and ignored”, she confided. “Before setting up a project, it was necessary to restore listening, trust and respect”. 

The first step was to make a comprehensive assessment of the situation together. This involved making contact with all stakeholders: doctors, employer and the disability insurance representative. At this stage, the information was contradictory: although it would have been possible, on a medical level, for Sabine to resume her job, the chances of returning to her previous employer diminished as contacts were made, leading to the end of the employment relationship. The positive dynamic created by the collaboration with the case manager allowed our insured to see in this decision the chance of a new beginning rather than yet another blow of fate.

A new job
A re-training course was organized with the aim of helping Sabine to gradually regain her bearings in an environment she knew well, that of health. Thanks to a very positive evaluation after the first two weeks, she was able to continue the exercise, with an additional objective: to assess her ability to work as a senior nurse.

Of course, three years of inactivity and health problems had left their mark. Nonetheless, the evaluation of the work placement was excellent, as were the prospects of returning to her former job. Things picked up during the summer. One of Sabine's first steps resulted in an employment offer for a senior nurse position.

Joy was mixed with fear: the fear that things would move too fast, that the return to work would be too abrupt. After reviewing the situation, Sabine chose to accept this new challenge, with the support of the case manager for as long as necessary. “I imagined that my follow-up would end when I returned to work. Fortunately, I can still count on this useful support to make me feel strong enough," she explained, relieved.

Voluntary approach
Case management is a voluntary process. To those who are reluctant to commit themselves, our insured person sends the following message: "This personalised support is aimed at finding the best solutions. There are difficult stages, but each time options are sketched, understood and accepted. Even today, I am not alone, there is someone who knows what I am doing, who accompanies me in my efforts, my progress and my difficulties.”

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