The Nursing Profession Benefits When Nurses Work With Social Workers To Meet All The Needs Of Their Patients
Pegasus skilled in-home caregivers in Palmdale and elsewhere often work with a team of experts. Social workers are among those helping to provide the best possible care to our clientele. Career home health care nurses know how social workers benefit their profession and patients.
Social work is “a profession devoted to helping people function the best they can in their environment.” Further, “social workers help people solve and cope with problems in their everyday lives.” They are committed to helping individuals meet their challenges.
An individual’s physical health is affected by other aspects of their life. For example, a worried person may not respond appropriately to medical care. Social workers help nurses understand their patients better, which improves their ability to care for them.
Home healthcare nurses and social workers have many characteristics in common. These include, among others, the ability to:
- Advocate for the rights of others
- Collaborate with others
- Design and implement treatment plans
- Empathize, understand, and interact effectively with others
- Listen actively and communicate effectively
- Organize and manage casework
- Solve problems
Their commonalities enable nurses and social workers to coordinate their services to meet all the needs of their patients. The expertise of each complements the services of the other. They and their patients benefit.
Social Workers Help Nurses By Meeting Non-Medical Needs
Nurses must prioritize medical care, even when they’re aware their patients have other needs. Coordinating care with social workers gives them confidence that the patient’s non-medical needs are being met. They can then concentrate on meeting the individual’s medical requirements.
Pegasus home health care nurses are case managers for their clientele. Case managers and social workers work as a team. Sometimes their care overlaps, and other times their services are much different.
Although there are similarities, nurses and social workers have training and skills unique to their professions. They view patients in light of their knowledge and experience. That allows each to see things about their patients that the other doesn’t see.
Patients benefit when nurses and social workers work together on their care. Together they customize expert care that meets the needs of each person. Because all aspects of emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual health are considered, the person’s well-being is enhanced.
Nursing And Social Work Encompass A Variety Of Skills
Like nurses and other healthcare professionals, social workers have various skills and specialties. Their level of education ranges from a bachelor’s degree to a doctorate. Some choose to become licensed clinical social workers.
Social worker specialties include:
- Children and families
- Communities
- Forensics
- Geriatric
- Hospice
- Medical
- Military
- Oncology
- Psychiatric
They work in hospitals and other institutions, private practice, homes, or wherever their services are needed. Nurses also specialize in similar categories and work in the same environments.
Nurses And Social Workers Are Advocates For Patients
Like nurses, social workers are advocates for their clientele. Their advocacy can differ in that it can include social issues such as inadequate housing. However, many are involved in healthcare, including helping individuals with substance abuse.
Social workers that specialize in aging care often network with other professionals. Their goal is to help the elderly have a good quality of life. In addition to emotional and mental health issues, social workers assist their clientele with social and economic concerns.
Medical social workers often meet their patients in a hospital setting. They are part of the recovery process for many. Among other services, they arrange for any post-hospitalization care that their patients may require.
Like home healthcare nurses, medical social workers develop care plans based on the patient’s specific needs. The social worker’s assistance may include referrals to financial and legal resources when necessary. They may also help the individual find jobs or continue their education.
Social workers assist individuals in other ways while they’re hospitalized. They also understand insurance and can help patients get discharged without bureaucratic delays.
They’re there to answer questions about care and treatments. They work with families to help them understand what’s happening with their loved one.
The social worker may follow up with patients after hospitalization to coordinate their in-home care. They network with other professionals and agencies. Social workers can arrange for medical equipment and supplies.
The Services Of Social Workers And Home Healthcare Nurses Often Overlap
These types of services offered by social workers often overlap those provided by home health caregivers. As professionals, they resolve any duplications or contradictions in favor of the patient’s best interest. The overriding guideline is the patient’s quality of life.
Social workers and professional in-home nurses strive to keep patients safe and independent at home. They use their skills to keep their patients out of hospitals or other facilities. Their complementary knowledge of community programs ensures that patients are aware of all available resources.
Pegasus is a licensed Home Care Organization and a Joint Commission Accredited Home Health Care organization. Our professional in-home caregivers in Palmdale and our other locations customize their services for each client. Our career home health care nurses recognize the benefits of including social workers on their team.
