Beyond the ideal: Tensions and realities of social work in palliative care

Interdisciplinary collaboration is a foundational principle of palliative care, yet social workers within these teams often encounter professional marginalization, role ambiguity, and systemic barriers to full integration. This study explores the experiences of palliative care social workers in Ontario, Canada, focusing on the tensions they navigate within interdisciplinary teams. Using an interpretive qualitative approach, in-depth interviews were conducted with 13 social workers practicing in hospital and community-based palliative care settings. Thematic analysis identified three interrelated themes: social workers' understandings of their professional role within palliative care teams; their perceptions of how their role is viewed by other professionals; and the discordance between internal professional identity and external recognition. Across these themes, participants described experiences of role devaluation, constrained professional autonomy, and conflict between anti-oppressive social work approaches and dominant biomedical norms.