The Role of Social Workers in Hospital: A Case Study of Alert General Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Abstract

Objective the objective of this study was to assess roles of hospital social workers in Alert hospital. The study examined the rate of the social workers utilization in the day to day practice in Alert hospital, and identified the opportunities and the challenges in using social workers practice in Alert hospital and to explore social work services. The study was conducted in Alert general hospital which is located in Addis Ababa from April, 2022 – May, 2022.G.C. Method The study applied descriptive and explanatory design. It supplemented by mixed approach which qualitative and quantitative methods. Data was collected using questionnaire, in-depth interview and observation. The Study Population for the study were inpatients, social workers and management member of Alert hospital, while the study populations were selected randomly and using purposive sampling techniques. A total of 149 participants participated in the study; those are 14inpatient, 4 key informants selected with random sampling for the patients and purposive sampling technique for the key informants. Data obtained from the questionnaire was cleaned and prepared using tabulation in number and percent; in addition using excel graphs were also used. Discussion was deployed in data analysis part of the study. Qualitative data analyzed using thematic area. Finding The study shows that, the social workers tried to apply most of the standards stated on the NASW Standards for Social Work Practice in Health Care setting (2014). Moreover, it has also been founded that social workers in the ALERT hospital provide various services. According to one of the major findings of this particular study, social workers in the ALERT hospitals faced different challenges. Most of the challenges they faced are related to the shortage of awareness about social workers role in the hospital community. There is limited number of social workers in the hospital and this hinders to provide adequate services for the clients. Recommendation on the base this findings the study proposed recommendation that the social workers and managements of ALERT hospital as well as all stockholders should make efforts to overcome these all challenges.