Success as a hospice social worker depends on connecting well with patients. How to make a great first impression on new patients and family members.
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Category: Part 1: Beginning hospice social work
The ASSESSMENT part of the hospice psychosocial assessment
“Initial psychosocial assessment” means more in hospice talk then just assessing psychosocial functioning. In the hospice world it actually refers to the set of tasks that the social worker accomplishes when making her introduction to a patient and family. This first set of tasks includes relationship building and providing…
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The hospice psychosocial assessment: your first contact with a new patient
Wednesday afternoon you receive a report that a new patient is being admitted that day. You know nothing about the patient, his condition or his demeanor. You know nothing about the patient’s family. You wonder how approachable they are and how present they are in your new patient’s life. But here is what you do know…
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Hospice patient information spreadsheet – what it is and why it’s important
The first impression in your interview might not create as lasting an impression as we hope or expect. Your new agency will hire you with the hope–and not the certainty–that you will do well. They will look forward with hopeful eyes to seeing how you work out. The first first impression is what got you the job, but the second…
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How to do hospice social work – what to learn about before your interview
Do you future boss a favor and let her know that she has nothing to worry about: you will start your position already knowing the minimum necessary to keep compliant with regulations. Even though you have not yet worked in hospice, you know the deal with the psychosocial assessments, DNRs, funeral home planning…
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Four steps to take now to prepare for a hospice social work job
School won’t give you everything you need to get your first hospice social work job, though your internship may help to some extent. After you graduate, you will still need to gain connections, experience and a good story about your connection to hospice. You can obtain all of these things easily by following the right steps.
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Get your first hospice social work job
Many of my classmates in graduate school were doomed to tolerate an excruciating month (or more) while waiting for their school transcripts to be processed so they could submit them and get their licenses. Thankfully I was able to spend this time at an Army leadership school in Louisiana.
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How you know you are succeeding as a hospice social worker
You are successful in hospice social work when you wake up most mornings looking forward to serving in your role. The thought of interacting with patients, their family members, your colleagues in your agency, residential care facility staff members and your community-resource network makes you feel good…
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The simple way to describe what a hospice social worker does
Most social workers know what BPSS stands for. Nurses in hospice monitor and treat the patient’s biological self, and spiritual counselors promote the spiritual well being. The hospice social worker, like most social workers, assesses and intervenes to promote wellness…
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Who knows what a hospice social worker does?
It is important to have a grasp of what hospice social work is, but you won’t stand out if if you don’t have it when you start your first position. In a recent poll I conducted in a Facebook hospice social work forum, 31 members responded that their agency does not provide adequate training, but only 24 stated that they did.
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