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Next Reply: Re:Social Worker Ratios to Palliative Care Patients
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Post Social Worker Ratios to Palliative Care Patients
Author: rarupp
Date: May 12, 2010 8:34 pm
Our hospital is undergoing changes in staffing. We are in the process of developing our palliative care program.
As we develop, it would be helpful to know some statistics on staffing; particularly the average number of palliative care patients to one Social Worker.

Thank you in advance for your assistance.
Replies: order by [Date] [Author] [Subject]
Re:Social Worker Ratios to Palliative Care Patients (by SharolHerr on 05/14/2010)
There isn't an easy answer to the number of patients for the MSW to follow. Several factors play into the decision:
1. Is the MSW assigned exclusively to the PC service
2. What responsibilities will the MSW have such as psychosocial/emotional support, case management, discharge planning, etc.
3. Are all the patients localized on the same unit
4. what other psychosocial/spiritual IDT members will be following
5. What is the obligation of the MSW to administration and education
6. What is the case load for other MSW's in the system
7. what are the MSW's obligations to the social services department
8. What are the obligations of the MSW to routine processes of the PC IDT such as daily rounding and interdisciplinary conferences

Taking all of that into consideration, I'll give you our MSW situation as an example. The MSW is a hospital employee managed out of the case management/social services department. She sees patients on one unit, is responsible for case management, discharge planning and psychosocial support. There is also a chaplain, Palliative Physician and APN on the PC team. The MSW meets Monday through Friday for the PC conference and then rounds with the team on the acute palliative care unit patients. She carries a case load of 12-15 patients. She is a resource to her colleagues on the other units for issues related to PC and hospice but does not round off of the PC floor.
Hope this is helpful.
Sharol Herr, RN, BSN, MSEd, CHPN; Nurse Clinician/Education Coordinator; Mount Carmel Health Palliative Care Leadership Center; Columbus, Ohio.

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