Isabel Maria, Cláudia Patacas, Marta Resende, Rita Macieira de Sousa, Sofia Santos, Susana Alexandrino
Isabel Maria is the Director of the Social Work Department at Hospital do Litoral Alentejano, Unidade Local de Saúde do Litoral Alentejano (ULSLA). Portugal. Doctoral student at Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas of Universidade Nova de Lisboa. Develops research in Terminology in the area of Social Work in Health of Serviço Nacional de Saúde (SNS). Researcher at the Linguistics Center of Universidade Nova de Lisboa. Post-graduate in Loss and Grief by the Universidade Católica Portuguesa. Degree in Social Work by Instituto Superior de Serviço Social de Lisboa.
Cláudia Patacas is a social worker at Hospital do Litoral Alentejano, ULSLA, and Social Work graduate.
Marta Resende is social worker at Hospital do Litoral Alentejano, ULSLA, and Social Work graduate.
Rita Macieira de Sousa is a Social Worker at Hospital do Litoral Alentejano, ULSLA. She has a MA in Intercultural Conflict Management by the Alice Salomon Hochschule Berlin and Social Work graduate by the Universidade Católica Portuguesa.
Sofia Santos is a social work student at Instituto Politécnico de Beja, developing a curricular internship at Hospital do Litoral Alentejano.
Susana Alexandrino is a social worker at Hospital do Litoral Alentejano, ULSLA. Post-graduate in Social Work Intervention in Health. Social work graduate from ESE I.P. Beja.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: This article aims to identify and analyse the constraints felt on the communicational dimension and ethical dilemmas aroused from the professional practice in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic by the Social Work department of Hospital do Litoral Alentejano, from March 2020 to February 2021. THEORETICAL BASE: This a research of empirical basis, based on the biopsychosocial model for intervention in health, applied to the provision of psychosocial care to the patient, family and/or carer. METHODS: This reflection is a case study on the constraints felt on the communicational dimension with the patient, the patient’s carers, and health professionals, stemming from the impact the disease had on clinical and social care services, the organisation and functioning of healthcare service providers. OUTCOMES: Development of communication competences adjusted to a context of a pandemic crisis (or other) and the reinforcement of an ethically driven reflexive practice. SOCIAL WORK IMPLICATIONS: Adoption of a creative professional practice, in response to the identified constraints and ethical dilemmas, to safely assure continuity of care.
Keywords
COVID-19, pandemic, hospital social work, social worker, communication, ethical dilemmas
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