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Kuratorn - från allas springflicka till terapeut på remiss?

Eliasson, Beatrice LU (2011) SOPA63 20102
School of Social Work
Abstract
The purpose of this qualitative research was to examine how medical social workers define their professional commission and expertise. It also examines whether the idea of their professional role is established among other professions within the healthcare system, enabling them to gain access to and carry out their professional social work. The empirical research, consisting of interviews with 3 medical social workers, 2 physicians and 2 nurses, was analyzed from a professional theoretical perspective trough coding. The results showed that the medical social workers divide their duties into categories which are given various value. The profession requires psychosocial assessments; different types of counseling are described as the... (More)
The purpose of this qualitative research was to examine how medical social workers define their professional commission and expertise. It also examines whether the idea of their professional role is established among other professions within the healthcare system, enabling them to gain access to and carry out their professional social work. The empirical research, consisting of interviews with 3 medical social workers, 2 physicians and 2 nurses, was analyzed from a professional theoretical perspective trough coding. The results showed that the medical social workers divide their duties into categories which are given various value. The profession requires psychosocial assessments; different types of counseling are described as the interesting and desirable aspect of the work while practical issues are preferred to be peripheral. As doctors, nurses and psychologists also take part in the “counseling territory”, the implications of boundary work were most obvious here. The medical social workers made an effort in positioning themselves in this area through further education. The development toward counseling emphasized work was supported by the physicians who predicted they would have less time for this in the future. The medical social workers described their expertise in abstract terms such as ”psychosocial competency” and ”a broad set of qualifications” that other professions were lacking. The responses by physicians and nurses were not unequivocal describing the work of the medical social workers but rather stressed their relieving role and function as well as their applicable/useful further expertise within certain areas. In addition to this, it became apparent that there is a general knowledge deficiency throughout the healthcare system about the competence of medical social workers. This means the medical social workers have been given a unilateral responsibility among health workers to become a part of a mutual field of work. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Eliasson, Beatrice LU
supervisor
organization
alternative title
The Medical Social Worker - From Everyone's Errand Girl to Therapist Receiving Referrals?
course
SOPA63 20102
year
type
M2 - Bachelor Degree
subject
keywords
Medical Social Work, boundary work, profession theory, jurisdiction, professional identiy.
language
Swedish
id
1848535
date added to LUP
2011-03-21 09:39:59
date last changed
2011-03-21 09:39:59
@misc{1848535,
  abstract     = {{The purpose of this qualitative research was to examine how medical social workers define their professional commission and expertise. It also examines whether the idea of their professional role is established among other professions within the healthcare system, enabling them to gain access to and carry out their professional social work. The empirical research, consisting of interviews with 3 medical social workers, 2 physicians and 2 nurses, was analyzed from a professional theoretical perspective trough coding. The results showed that the medical social workers divide their duties into categories which are given various value. The profession requires psychosocial assessments; different types of counseling are described as the interesting and desirable aspect of the work while practical issues are preferred to be peripheral. As doctors, nurses and psychologists also take part in the “counseling territory”, the implications of boundary work were most obvious here. The medical social workers made an effort in positioning themselves in this area through further education. The development toward counseling emphasized work was supported by the physicians who predicted they would have less time for this in the future. The medical social workers described their expertise in abstract terms such as ”psychosocial competency” and ”a broad set of qualifications” that other professions were lacking. The responses by physicians and nurses were not unequivocal describing the work of the medical social workers but rather stressed their relieving role and function as well as their applicable/useful further expertise within certain areas. In addition to this, it became apparent that there is a general knowledge deficiency throughout the healthcare system about the competence of medical social workers. This means the medical social workers have been given a unilateral responsibility among health workers to become a part of a mutual field of work.}},
  author       = {{Eliasson, Beatrice}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Kuratorn - från allas springflicka till terapeut på remiss?}},
  year         = {{2011}},
}