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Emotional dissonance in medical social work practice.
Keith R Nelson1, Joseph R Merighi
1College of Social Work, San José State University, One Washington Square, San José, CA 95192-0124, USA. KNCW@aol.com
Social Work in Health Care
|February 5, 2003
Summary
Medical social workers face emotional dissonance due to community, family, and individual factors in their practice. Social support can help mitigate these challenges, improving overall emotional well-being.
Area of Science:
- Social Work
- Psychology
- Healthcare Management
Background:
- Medical social work is crucial for patient support within healthcare settings.
- Social workers' emotional well-being is integral to effective practice and patient care.
- Understanding the ecological factors influencing social workers' emotional health is an under-researched area.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the ecological aspects of medical social work practice impacting social workers' emotional well-being.
- To identify key factors contributing to emotional dissonance among medical social workers.
- To examine the role of social support in mitigating negative emotional experiences.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative study utilizing grounded theory.
- Data collected through small group interviews with 47 medical social workers across seven hospitals.
- Analysis focused on exploring practice experiences and identifying central themes.
Main Results:
- Emotional dissonance emerged as a central theme in medical social work practice.
- Identified community, family, and individual factors contributing to emotional dissonance.
- Examined the influence of social support on emotional well-being.
Conclusions:
- Ecological factors significantly impact the emotional well-being of medical social workers.
- Emotional dissonance is a key challenge requiring attention and intervention.
- Social support systems are vital for enhancing resilience and job satisfaction in medical social work.