My Experiences as a Medical Social Worker Essay

Changes to procedures or updated risk assessments can be stated in a document, giving both e employer and employee peace of mind knowing that they are aware of all current procedures and policies.

I am a self-directed volunteer as a peer community worker for disabled people in Toronto GTA. I am willing to speak with you, in groups or publicly any time about it. Nonetheless; when rough times have fallen upon my life and health in the past, I have always responded with humor and generosity since, my gratitude is the state of mind of thankfulness. Most people can describe me as being direct, humorous, down to earth and caring for the fellow humans. At this moment in time, I am the founder and manager of Peer Community Hub, as well as a social entrepreneur whose ideas, tasks and values are to build peer to peer community drop-in center for disabilities who are directed by disability people. History of street life, disability, and cornice

The journey towards the attainment of the Bachelor of the social work degree has been an enlightening and educational experience, as the individual is exposed to the realities of many social and political issues in the society. As a student, I ventured into the degree, with minimal insight as to how the degree can influence and shape the way I perceive the social world, and the way I relate these matters to myself. However, throughout my endeavour, which encompasses years of theoretical studies, and two intensive placements at two drastically different organisations, I believe I have accumulated the bare minimal knowledge to possess a solid foundation about the unfairness and inequality that people in disadvantaged conditions face. Social workers are predominantly found in welfare organisations which Howe (as cited in Limber, 2015) suggested largely influences the practice, direction and values of the social worker, and impacts on their ability to act autonomously (Lymbery, 2015). During my placements, there was a dominant theme that frequently stood out and enticed my attention. This was the accepted practice of focusing on the individual’s problem, as opposed to the social problems that existed and the lack of acknowledgement about the social restrictions of the human agency that limited self-determination. The realization that organisations were managed this way was important in ensuring that I made a proactive effort to understand and untangle the reasons behind such

“Diversity makes for a rich tapestry. We must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value, no matter their color; equal in importance no matter their texture,” by Maya Angelou. I met my interviewee, Bill Hemphill through a mutual relative in my family who was generous enough to provide his contact information. Although he was he was a busy man, he agreed to let me interview him at his office. At first, I thought he was very strict and sympathetic , as a social worker should .To become a qualified Medical Social Worker you must be hard working, educated and dedicated. Upon meeting him he seem very courteous to those around him; he came up to me and shook my hand and praised me from becoming a “fellow” social worker. My impressions of him were that he was a delightful man who would give the world to his patients. We walked to his office and he shut the door behind to give us privacy. He bluntly said “ask any question you like about me and my career.”

My first encounter with a patient has been rather difficult: it was my mother. When our family used to live in the Philippines, there was an armed robbery in our house. While the intruders left our family alive, their damage was felt. My mother began suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Seeing her suffer pained me. Despite my numerous attempts to calm her, however, she remained distressed. If I had ever understood helplessness, it was problem then. It was the pain of the inability to help someone you love.

Working as a surgical services assistant as Saint John’s Medical Center in Tulsa, Ok has given me the opportunity to witness the healing process first hand. In this work, I held retractors and operated laparoscopic cameras during surgeries. Observing the true care and reverence that the physicians held for patients in their most vulnerable states has been a great inspiration for me. Through my time as a medical intensive care unit volunteer, I have learned that the healing process in not restricted to the patient but spreads its branches to the patient’s family and loved ones. As a liaison between the patient families and medical staff, I have learned the importance of caring communication to people of all color, orientation, and

I am interested in becoming a master-level social worker to gain the skills necessary to become a well-rounded advocate for change. Likewise, I am interested in having the opportunity to work with faculty who are conducting research and making an impact in the Charlotte community. As a social worker, I plan on working towards eliminating the school-to-prison pipeline, which directs youth into the juvenile and criminal justice system without taking into consideration how social problems, such a poverty, abuse, and drugs, directly affects their behavior. In addition, I would like to tackle the issues surrounding adolescent sexuality, including teenage pregnancy, STI transmission, and sex education in schools. My target population are vulnerable youth within urban cities. Since The University of North Carolina Charlotte is located in one of the largest and most diverse cities in the nation, I have decided to seek admission into the MSW program. Having the opportunity to utilize the skills I will be learning in the classroom while working hands on with my target population is of utmost importance to me. Upon graduating with my MSW, I plan on continuing my work in the Charlotte community and working as a full-time school social worker. UNC Charlotte’s MSW programs puts emphasis on serving vulnerable populations, which is congruent with the type of people I would like to work with.

It began with a disgruntled older patient who had gotten a hip replacement. Ornery, and at times downright nasty, he was not a pleasure to work with. He was negative, cynical and didn’t believe we were there to help him. One day, in an attempt to rescue a new aide from one of his tirades, I decided to make it my goal to break through his pessimistic demeanor. Despite his disposition, I always greeted him with a warm smile, and made every effort I could to connect with him. It was difficult at first, and at times I was just as frustrated as he was. But I remembered my days of running-— persevering through injuries, having patience with my progress-— and knew it would be worth it. I continued my positive encouragement and slowly but surely Joseph came around. I learned that he used to be a stellar fútbol player in his native Portugal, until the untimely death of his single mother placed him in charge of three younger siblings. I learned that he speaks four languages, saw three wars, and has one championship Ballroom Dancers Federation Trophy. I learned that he met his late wife at a dance club on Coney Island 53 years ago and still misses her ten years after her death.

After seeing several patients the team finally went in to see my eighty-three year old female who was in the hospital after suffering an ischemic stroke. As always I went in prepared: I had read about ischemic strokes, brushed up on my pathophysiology and was ready to make suggestions about what further work-up would be necessary! Our team, which was made up of a pharmacist, social worker, two geriatric fellows, and an attending geriatrician, all filed into the room as we did every day for rounds. However, instead of talking about the tests that we would run today and the lab results that had returned this morning, we all looked at each other and began to sing “Happy Birthday.” The patient’s face lit up and I remember feeling this overwhelming sense of happiness. Yes, I had arrived at the hospital before the sun was up, and tucked in my white coat was my perfectly crafted plan, which I was prepared to recite chapter and verse, but instead there we were a team of healthcare professionals, all singing. As I stood there singing I looked around the room and I was overcome with relief; because in that moment I knew these were the type of people I wanted to sit with at the lunch

A social worker has a very important job. Social workers help children and families in need of food, homes, and health care. They help children have a brighter future. There are many different types of social work. There are mental health, child and family, elementary, and high school social workers.

Captain Rob Geis agreed to be interviewed and share his experiences with the next generation of Social Workers. Native to Ohio, he graduated High School in 1979, he continued his education at Ohio State University from 1982-1986, completing his Masters in Social Work. For the past 24 years, he has served as a Social Worker in the United States Army. In his current position he is responsible for the Department of Social Work Services. Previous positions have included: two assignments as a Division Social Worker, Medical Inpatient Social Worker, Chief of Social Work, Division Chief of Mental Health, Clinical Director of Army Substance Abuse Program, Combat Operation Stress Control Commander, and General Staff

School social workers work within schools to provide a variety of social, emotional, and mental health services to students to support overall success. The intent of this research is to evaluate the significance of having a school social worker available to general education students within the Owatonna High School setting and to examine the gaps in services that may have appeared since removal of this position in 2009. Various related studies were examined to outline a range of ways in which school social workers are used to support student success. During this study, a total of seven employees of the Owatonna School District were interviewed regarding school social work. As a whole the participants identified a large number of gaps

As the saying goes, “Our children are our future” and who you are as a child can determine who you can be later on in life. It is important for a child to be in a safe, comfortable and loving environment during its development so that the child can have the full advantage to become the best he can be in his future. My future career as a social worker will ensure just that. I chose this profession because of my own history. Growing up, I’ve had my share of social workers in my house. I experienced them as people who helped my family during a hard time. This is a career where I can fight for people’s rights. I will also be able to protect

During my first semester student clinical rotation, I was introduced to patient, 76 year old AB who was being treated at an assisted living facility. She was a wonderful patient and someone I immediately connected with. AB had been medically diagnosed with COPD and displayed all the classic physical signs of the disease such as wheezing, deliberate breathing, severe shortness of breath and nutritional deficit. She was my first patient as a student nurse and the first person I was able to complete a health assessment and nursing care plan for. I recognized early on that AB was special and someone who would be a great person to communicate with. With the initial assessment she was a little scared, but

Medical social workers collaborate with other human service workers to help severely ill patients, suffering from physical and psychological issues. Throughout the many challenges of patients, medical social workers and other professionals meet the common and severe needs of people with physical and mental illnesses. Andrews, Darnell, McBride, & Gehlert (2013) state “Social workers are familiar with the complex and overlapping systems that must be negotiated to ensure that the social, psychological and economic needs of individuals and groups are addressed in a way that underscores optimal health” (p. 67). Once the patient discuss their core issues with the medical social worker and other medical staff members at the hospital, physicians, nurses, and medical social workers can give patients ' positive feedback the concerns their health and well-being. Medical social workers interact with each other for the patient’s safety.