Developing Emotional Competence of Social Workers of End-of-Life and Bereavement Care

2013 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 373-393 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Y. M. Chow
2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 131-137
Author(s):  
Mim Fox ◽  
Joanna McIlveen ◽  
Elisabeth Murphy

Bereavement support and conducting viewings for grieving family members are commonplace activities for social workers in the acute hospital setting, however the risks that COVID-19 has brought to the social work role in bereavement care has necessitated the exploration of creative alternatives. Social workers are acutely aware of the complicating factors when bereavement support is inadequately provided, let alone absent, and with the aid of technology and both individual advocacy, social workers have been able to continue to focus on the needs of the most vulnerable in the hospital system. By drawing on reflective journaling and verbal reflective discussions amongst the authors, this article discusses bereavement support and the facilitation of viewings as clinical areas in which hospital social work has been observed adapting practice creatively throughout the pandemic.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 70-70
Author(s):  
Cathy Berkman

Abstract As the population ages and more people live longer with chronic and life-limiting illnesses, more healthcare professionals with palliative care skills are needed. Social workers are part of the palliative care team, but there is little, if any, content on palliative and end-of-life care in MSW programs. A 24-minute video featuring nine palliative and hospice social workers was produced with two goals: 1) increase knowledge of social work students about palliative and end-of-life care; and 2) interest social work students in a career in palliative social work. MSW students from three schools, in NY and Alabama, viewed the video. After viewing the video, 94 students participated in the mixed methods study, completing the brief, anonymous, online survey. The mean level of understanding about what palliative social workers do, rated from 1 (no understanding) to 5 (very good understanding), was 2.96 (SD=.99) before viewing the video and 4.31 (SD=.61) after, for an increase of 1.35 points (95% CI=1.14, 1.55) (p<.001). The mean level of interest in a career in palliative care social work and working with seriously ill persons and their family members, rated from 1 (Not at all interested) to 5 (Extremely interested), was 2.52 (SD=.99) before viewing the video and 3.45 SD=.80) after, for an increase of .91 points (95% CI=.79, 1.07) (p<.001). Qualitative data supporting the quantitative findings will be presented. This study suggests that a video intervention may be an effective tool to increase knowledge and interest in palliative and end-of-life care among social work students.


Author(s):  
Kelly Tsz Ching Wong ◽  
Amy Yin Man Chow ◽  
Iris Kwan Ning Chan

Background: There is a growing need for palliative care for patients near the end of life and their caregivers. Palliative and end-of-life care (EoLC) education are recommended for all health care (e.g., physicians, nurses, and allied health practitioners) and social care professionals (e.g., social workers) to ensure the quality of services. However, less attention has been afforded to generic, in contrast to specialized, EoLC education. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a series of short-term generic EoLC educational programs for health and social care professionals. Method: A pre-post survey design was adopted, focusing on different EoLC core competences. Results: Significant improvement was observed in all perceived competences after the educational programs, regardless of participants’ occupation or EoLC experience. Perceived competence in self-care was rated significantly higher than all other competences prior to the programs. Healthcare professionals rated significantly higher on competence in symptom management than social workers. Scores on communication skill and self-care competences were significantly higher following longer (i.e., 16-24 hours) than shorter (i.e., 4-8 hours) programs. Conclusion: Generalist palliative/EoLC educational programs may enable health and social care professionals to refresh and extend their knowledge and skills and enhance their perceived competence in providing EoLC. Further research on generalist palliative/EoLC education is needed to examine the impact of continuing training on professionals’ actual practice in EoLC and palliative care.


2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather L. Tubbs-Cooley ◽  
Gina Santucci ◽  
Tammy I. Kang ◽  
James A. Feinstein ◽  
Kari R. Hexem ◽  
...  

Pained ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 203-206
Author(s):  
Michael D. Stein ◽  
Sandro Galea

This chapter assesses palliative care. Palliative care focuses on improving the quality of life for people with life-threatening illnesses by involving a team of nurses, doctors, social workers, and clergy in a care plan. Hospice care—administered in dedicated units and in services delivered at home—has been slowly expanding over the past two decades, but the increasing percentage of patients who use hospice for less than 7 days suggests that the full benefits of end-of-life palliative care are not being realized. Meanwhile, the use of unwanted, aggressive end-of-life care, often inconsistent with patient preferences, remains pervasive. For palliative care to be effective, it must be supported by government policies and insurer incentives; it must also be owned by communities, which must continue to ask for help in designing and paying for high-quality palliative care for patients and their caregiving families.


2014 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 494-500 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nienke Bekkema ◽  
Anke J.E. de Veer ◽  
Gwenda Albers ◽  
Cees M.P.M. Hertogh ◽  
Bregje D. Onwuteaka-Philipsen ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-11
Author(s):  
Fauzia Paize ◽  
Jessica MacWilliam

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