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Ethical dilemmas faced by hospice social workers
Mary Kate Dennis1, Karla T Washington, Terry L Koenig
1a School of Social Welfare , University of Kansas , Lawrence , Kansas , USA.
Social Work in Health Care
|November 15, 2014
Summary
Ethical decision-making in hospice social work involves navigating dilemmas from clients, agencies, and the profession. Resolving these requires consultation, weighing options, and desired outcomes, highlighting the need for team discussions and social worker leadership involvement.
Area of Science:
- Social Work
- Bioethics
- Healthcare Management
Background:
- Ethical decision-making is crucial in hospice social work.
- Social workers face complex ethical dilemmas impacting patient care and professional practice.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore ethical dilemmas encountered by hospice social workers.
- To identify processes used by social workers for ethical dilemma resolution.
- To develop a framework for understanding sources of ethical conflict in hospice social work.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative study utilizing in-depth interviews.
- Exploration of ethical challenges faced by 14 hospice social workers.
- Development of a framework categorizing ethical conflict sources (client system, agency, profession).
Main Results:
- Identified common ethical dilemmas in hospice social work.
- Described resolution processes including consultation, pros/cons analysis, and outcome achievement.
- Highlighted the need for structured ethical decision-making discussions within hospice teams.
Conclusions:
- Hospice social workers require dedicated opportunities for discussing ethical decision-making.
- Increased social worker involvement in administrative leadership can integrate discipline-specific ethical perspectives into policy.
- Formal policies should better address ethically complex situations in hospice care.
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