Medical Social worker

Medical Social Worker

A medical social worker works in a hospital and can be assigned to cover a number of wards . When a patient is admitted , any number of people might decide that he needs to talk with a social worker as well as see the doctor . For an example : A thirteen year old girl is brought into an emergency room , barely alive from a suicidal drug overdose . Of course , the doctors and nurses do their best to resuscitate her and stabilize her condition , but then what ? That is where the medical social

br worker comes in . It is his or her job to assess the girl 's drug habit and to arrange a meeting with her family so they can decide where she should get help for underlying problem . A medical hospital can take care of the patient 's physical needs , but it cannot prolong her stay just because the doctors don 't know what else to do . It is the social worker 's job to locate a drug program or psychiatric counseling for the girl and help her schedule an appointment . If the girl remains suicidal the social worker will consider psychiatric hospitalization and recommend that to the girl

Degree Requirement

Because this job requires a broad knowledge of social services in the community and the ability to assess and intervene in medical situations specialization in social work is expected . Most hospitals require the MSW , because nowadays more social workers have the degree and therefore the hospital can use then . Medical social worker may also want a license in clinical social work practice or administration , depending on your role

Some hospitals have used social workers with only a BSW , but most refuse to accept a person with a non-social work degree , even from a related field

In this position you need the advanced degree and several years of experience for consideration in the larger hospitals

Program with its Purpose and Goal

Various ongoing management issues affect the practice as we are required more and more to address outcomes and goal achievement . The role of quality assurance program and cost containment pressures will increase , and we are increasingly compelled by our own profession and regulatory agencies to account for and document our work and audit outcomes (Tindill , al Assaf , and Gentling , 1993 . As we look at beginnings , middle and endings in our services to patients , we find that these definitions require a constant assuring of meaningful purpose and process

Termination of the Group will be based on how well it is serving a real and needed purpose , whether its purpose meshes with agency goals and sanctions . For some patients , the process of the group may not meet their ongoing needs and , together , those patients and staff will have to consider what services might be offered , which would make sense for them . It will be a challenge to identify what is happening , what the remaining needs are , and how we can respond to them

Emergence of Social Work in the Health...