Browsing by Subject "Jaksaminen"

The purpose of this dissertation is to find out whether the medical condition of a patient affects the nature of healthcare social work. The dissertation examines how the presence of death changes the quality and nature of the work, and what are the differences between working with curative and palliative patients. The research hypothesis is that while the presence of death is a burdensome factor for the social worker, there is also a satisfying aspect to it. The study was conducted by interviewing social workers working with dying patients using informal in-depth interviews. The theoretical frame of reference is the salutogenic model of sociologist Aaron Antonovsky. Antonovskys theory facilitates death both as a stress factor and as an element, which brings a positive element to healthcare social work. Death fundamentally changes the nature of social work. The key finding of this dissertation is that death is not perceived as too burdensome. On the contrary, working with dying patients can be perceived as very rewarding. Death adds a sense of meaningfulness to the work, which along with controllability and comprehensibility is a prerequisite for the emergence of a sense of coherence. A sense of coherence can be defined as a feeling of confidence that a person will cope with the challenges he or she faces. In addition, working in the presence of death forces the social worker to contemplate the concept of death on a personal level, which in turn increases mental well-being. The conclusions are that working with death is not to be feared, but should rather be seen as an opportunity for personal growth. Social workers would benefit if their education provided them with tools necessary to deal with and overcome stressor met in their work.