Self-care methods of social workers working in end-of-life care

Authors

  • Suzi Gallagher Registered Social Worker, Kirikiriroa, Aotearoa New Zealand
  • Lareen Cooper School of Social Work, Massey University, Aotearoa New Zealand

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.11157/anzswj-vol35iss3id1059

Keywords:

self-care, end-of-life care, social workers, supervision, compassion fatigue, spirituality

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Most people experience some form of grief and loss during their lifetimes; some even choose to work amongst it every day. Navigating through the effects of this can be an arduous task on a personal level, but what about on a professional level? Social workers are becoming more prominent in end-of-life settings and, whilst they often are well versed in self- care, how does this change when working around death and dying on a daily basis? This study sought to explore these questions and gain a greater understanding of social workers.

METHODS: This is a qualitative research study where three semi-structured interviews of social workers working in end-of-life (EOL) care were conducted to explore their perspectives of self- care regarding their profession, and to gain a greater understanding of what is beneficial for them and what requires more work.

FINDINGS: All participants had both personal and professional self-care journeys that have enabled them to avoid burnout or compassion fatigue during their careers. Whilst each participant had had some form of training on death and dying or grief and loss, there was a clear lack of job-specific training to support them through their work.

CONCLUSION: This research report highlighted three key themes for EOL social workers: personal experience of death and dying; their own self-care strategies and practices; and limitations around specific training on death and dying. Results of this study urge social workers and education providers to seek out further training development and opportunities in EOL care.

Author Biographies

Suzi Gallagher, Registered Social Worker, Kirikiriroa, Aotearoa New Zealand

Suzi Gallagher is a Registered Social Worker based in Kirikiriroa. She completed her Masters of Applied Social Work in 2019 and is now a Crisis Response Social Worker in the sexual violence sector. Suzi is also a Board Member for Rape Prevention Education (RPE) in Tamaki Makaurau. 

Lareen Cooper, School of Social Work, Massey University, Aotearoa New Zealand

Lareen Cooper is a Senior Lecturer, School of Social Work, Massey University. She teaches and writes in social policy and management, and supervises a wide range of practice research. She has an extensive background in health services executive management in District Health Boards in New Zealand. She has served for five years as a Member of the Social Workers Registration Board Complaints and Disciplinary Tribunal.

References

Agnew, A., Manktelow, R., Haynes, T., & Jones, L. (2011). Bereavement assessment practice in hospice settings: Challenges for palliative care social workers. British Journal of Social Work, 41(1), 111–130. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcq055

Arnaud, K. (2017). Encountering the wounded healer: Parallel process and supervision. Canadian Journal of Counselling and Psychotherapy, 51(2), 131–144. https://cjc-rcc.ucalgary.ca/article/view/61147

Berzoff, J. (2008). Working at the end of life: Providing clinically based psychosocial care. Clinical Social Work Journal, 36(2), 177–184. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10615- 007-0119-z

Brown, A. & Danaher, P.A. (2019). CHE principles: Facilitating authentic and dialogical semi-structured interviews in educational research. International Journal of Research & Method in Education, 42(1), 76-90. DOI:10.1080/1743727X.2017.1379987

Brown, L., & Walter, T. (2014). Towards a social model of end-of-life care. British Journal of Social Work, 44(8), 2375–2390. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bct087

Chaddock, R. (2016). Integrating early multi-disciplinary advance care planning into core social work practice: Social workers’ bread and butter. Journal of Social Work Practice, 30(2), 129–138. https://doi.org/10.1080/026505 33.2016.1168382

Chan, W., Fong, A., Wong, K., Tse, D., Lau, K., & Chan, L. (2015). Impact of death work on self: Existential and emotional challenges and coping of palliative care professionals. Health & Social Work, 41(1), 33–41. https://doi.org/10.1093/hsw/hlv077

Chapman, J. (2014). Researcher as participant: Safeguarding against bias in a qualitative case study. https://doi.org/10.4135/978144627305014539101

Davidson, J. (2016). Does the culture of modern day palliative care social work leave room for leadership? Journal of Social Work Practice, 30(2), 203–218. https://doi.org/10.1080/02650533.2016.1168385

Edwards, A., Pang, N., Shiu, V., Chan, C. (2010). The understanding of spirituality and the potential role of spiritual care in end-of-life care and palliative care: A meta- study of qualitative research. Palliative Medicine, 24(8), 753–770. https://doi.org/10.1177/0269216310375860

Galletta, A. (2013). Mastering the semi-structured interview and beyond: From research design to analysis and publication. https://doi.org/10.18574/nyu/9780814732939.001.0001

Guest, G., MacQueen, K. M., & Namey, E. E. (2012). Applied thematic analysis. SAGE Publications. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781483384436

Iacono, G. (2017). A call for self-compassion in social work education. Journal of Teaching in Social Work, 37(5), 454–476. https://doi.org/10.1080/08841233.2017.1377145

Kwan, C.K., & Reupert, A. (2019). The relevance of social workers’ personal experiences to their practices. The British Journal of Social Work, 49(1), 256–271. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcy017

Merriam, S. B., & Tisdell, E. J. (2016). Qualitative research: A guide to design and implementation. Jossey-Bass.

Murty, S., Sanders, S., & Stensland, M. (2015). End-of-life care as a field of practice in the social work curriculum. Journal of Social Work in End-of-Life and Palliative Care, 11, 11–26. https://doi.org/10.1080/15524256.2015.1021071

Newcomb, M., Burton, J., Edwards, N., & Hazelwood, Z. (2015). How Jung’s concept of the wounded healer can guide learning and teaching in social work and human services. Advances in Social Work and Welfare Education, 17(2), 55–69. https://journal.anzswwer.org/index.php/advances/article/view/237

Potash, J., Ho, A., Chan, F., Wang, X., & Cheng, C. (2014). Can art therapy reduce death and burnout in end-of-life care workers? A quasi-experimental study. International Journal of Palliative Nursing, 20(5), 233–140. https://doi.org/10.12968/ijpn.2014.20.5.233

Quinn-Lee, L., Olson-McBride, L., & Unterberger, A. (2014). Burnout and death anxiety in hospice social workers. Journal of Social Work in End-of-Life and Palliative Care, 10(3), 219–239. https://doi.org/10.1080/15524256.2014.938891

Rine, C. (2018). Is social work prepared for diversity in hospice and palliative care? Health and Social Work, 43(1), 41–49. https://doi.org/10.1093/hsw/hlx048

Sanso, N., Galiana, L., Oliver, A., Pascual, A., Sinclair, S., & Benito, E. (2015). Palliative care professionals’ inner life: Exploring the relationships among awareness, self- care, and compassion satisfaction and fatigue, burnout, and coping with death. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 50(2), 200–207. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2015.02.013

Selman, L., Speck, P., Barfield, R., Gysels, M., Higginson, I., & Harding, R. (2014). Holistic models for end of life care: Establishing the place of culture. Progress in Palliative Care, 22(2), 80–87. https://doi.org/10.1179/1743291X1 3Y.0000000063

Sexton, J. D., Pennebaker, J. W., Holzmueller, C. G., Wu, A. W., Berenholtz, S. M., Swoboda, S. M., Pronovost, P. J., & Sexton, J. B. (2009). Care for the caregiver: Benefits of expressive writing for nurses in the United States. Progress in Palliative Care, 17(6), 307–312. https://doi.org/10.1179/096992609X12455871937620

Silverman, E. (2015). Caught between denial and dollars: The challenge of a health care social worker. Social Work, 61(1), 87–89. https://doi.org/10.1093/sw/swv045

Smit, C. (2017). Making self-care a priority: Caring for the carer. Whitireia Nursing and Health Journal, (24), 29–35.

Supiano, K.P., & Vaughn-Cole, B. (2011). The impact of personal loss on the experience of health professions: Graduate students in end-of-life and bereavement care. Death Studies, 35(1), 73-89. doi: 10.1080/07481187.2010.507321. PMID: 24501851.

Vasileiou, K., Barnett, J., Thorpe, S., & Young, T. (2018). Characterising and justifying sample size sufficiency

in interview-based studies: Systematic analysis of qualitative health research over a 15-year period. BMC Medical Research Methodology, 8(1), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12874-018-0594-7

Downloads

Published

2023-10-09

How to Cite

Gallagher, S., & Cooper, L. (2023). Self-care methods of social workers working in end-of-life care. Aotearoa New Zealand Social Work, 35(3), 89–100. https://doi.org/10.11157/anzswj-vol35iss3id1059

Issue

Section

Original Articles