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Healthcare Social Workers

Also called: Clinical Social Worker, Hospice Social Worker, Medical Social Worker, Social Worker

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What they do:
Provide individuals, families, and groups with the psychosocial support needed to cope with chronic, acute, or terminal illnesses. Services include advising family caregivers. Provide patients with information and counseling, and make referrals for other services. May also provide case and care management or interventions designed to promote health, prevent disease, and address barriers to access to healthcare.
On the job, you would:
  • Advocate for clients or patients to resolve crises.
  • Educate clients about end-of-life symptoms and options to assist them in making informed decisions.
  • Collaborate with other professionals to evaluate patients' medical or physical condition and to assess client needs.

Knowledge

Math and Science
  • psychology
  • sociology and anthropology
Health
  • therapy and counseling
Arts and Humanities
  • English language
  • philosophy and religion
Business
  • customer service

Skills

Basic Skills
  • talking to others
  • listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions
Problem Solving
  • noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it
Social
  • understanding people's reactions
  • looking for ways to help people

Abilities

Verbal
  • communicate by speaking
  • listen and understand what people say
Ideas and Logic
  • notice when problems happen
  • use rules to solve problems

Personality

People interested in this work like activities that include helping people, teaching, and talking.
They do well at jobs that need:
  • Concern for Others
  • Integrity
  • Self Control
  • Dependability
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Adaptability/Flexibility

Technology

You might use software like this on the job:

Office suite software
  • Corel WordPerfect Office Suite
  • Microsoft Office software Hot Technology In Demand
Presentation software
  • Information presentation software
  • Microsoft PowerPoint Hot Technology
Medical software
  • Medical records software
  • MEDITECH software

Education

Education: (rated 5 of 5)
master's degree or
bachelor's degree
usually needed

Get started on your career:

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Job Outlook

Bright Outlook
New job opportunities are very likely in the future.
Salary
$60,840
$37,630
$86,820
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Explore More

See more details at O*NET OnLine about healthcare social workers.