Date of Award

6-2018

Document Type

Project

Degree Name

Master of Social Work

Department

School of Social Work

First Reader/Committee Chair

Lizano, Erica

Abstract

ABSTRACT

This study explored the challenges medical social workers face that lead to burnout. Currently, there is literature on burnout among health care providers and social workers, but not specifically on social workers in the medical field. The current study aimed to fill this gap in literature. Due to the lack of literature, the study used an exploratory, qualitative design. The study utilized individual interviews with a non-random purposive sample of nine medical social workers currently employed at Kaiser Permanente’s Fontana/Ontario Social Services Department. Interviews with participants were recorded and transcribed. Transcriptions were analyzed using thematic analysis. Major themes that emerged were organizational challenges, challenges working in multidisciplinary teams, working in the medical field, and limited resources. The study’s findings aim to increase awareness of the issue of burnout among medical social workers and to contribute to the implementation of interventions or policies within health care settings to prevent burnout among medical social workers.

Included in

Social Work Commons

Share

COinS