The fourth chapter of the books discusses in detail social
work in hospitals. It discusses the historical background in hospitals and the
development of hospitals in the United States. Originally, hospitals in the
United States were almshouses for the poor and many of them later became public
hospitals. “In 1984, there were 6,872 hospitals in the United States, of which
6302 (92 percent) responded to an annual survey of the American Hospital
Association. Of those that responded, 5,209, or 83 percent, reported having
social work services” (Fort Cowles, 2003, p. 144). The hospital social worker
role has evolved over time, resulting in a wide range of expectations for the
position. The major problems social workers experience in the hospital setting
are: Problems related to care and activities of daily living, environmental
problems, patient and family adverse reactions or dysfunctional adjustment to
illness and changes in functional status, problems related to physical, sexual,
and emotional maltreatment, relationship problems, problems of behavior and
cognition and mental disorders, including substance abuse, vocational and
educational problems, and legal problems. Hospital social work is very
important and requires much knowledge and training. The book discusses that
there are certain values and ethical considerations when it comes to social
work in the hospital. There are important decisions that need to be made about
who gets what services and it is a very hard decision for a social worker to have
to make. The following article discusses the role of a social worker in the hospital: What are the duties of a hospital social worker?
References:
Fort Cowles, L.
A. (2003). Social Work in the Health Field: A Care Perspective ( 2nd Ed.)
Binghamton, NY: The Haworth Press.
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