Volume 24, May 2005
Table of Contents
One Social Work Group's Process of Conducting an Outcomes-Driven Project
Laura Root, LCSW
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Emotional Exhaustion and Workload Demands in Renal Social Work Practice
Joseph R. Merighi, PhD; Karen Ehlebracht, LCSW
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Predialysis Anxiety: What are the Concerns of Patients?
Steven A. Iacono, LMSW
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Transformations: A Phenomenological Investigation Into the Life-World of Home Hemodialysis.
Stephen Giles, SSW, BA, MSW, RSW
Evaluation Research on the Effectiveness of Social Work Intervention on Dialysis Patients: The First Three Months.
Joan Beder, DSW
Struggles, Strengths and Strategies: The Lived Experience of Healthy Siblings of Children with End-Stage Renal Disease.
David B. Nicholas, PhD
CNSW Abstracts from the National Kidney Foundation 2005 Spring Clinical Meetings
CNSW Research Grants Program
Abstracts From Original Articles
One Social Work Group's Process of Conducting an Outcomes-Driven Project
Laura Root, LCSW
Renal social workers across the country are being encouraged by the Council of Nephrology Social Workers to incorporate the outcomes-driven model of nephrology social work into their social work practice with dialysis patients. Initially this model of practice may seem overwhelming, not very useful, or too complicated to some renal social workers who are not used to quantifying their interventions. In spite of initial suspicion and cautious hopes, a small group of social workers at Saint Alphonsus Nephrology Center in Idaho decided to catch the outcomes-driven practice wave. This paper describes the process this group went through in their experience with an outcomes-driven practice model project.
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Emotional Exhaustion and Workload Demands in Renal Social Work Practice
Joseph R. Merighi, PhD; Karen Ehlebracht, LCSW
This study examines the degree to which renal social workers experience emotional exhaustion and workload demands as a result of their professional practice in dialysis units. Mail survey data from a national sample of 809 respondents were used to make comparisons based on private versus public facility classification and level of involvement in specific job activities. Findings indicated that the respondents' level of involvement in counseling, clerical and insurance activities was significantly related to their self-reported levels of emotional exhaustion and workload. Implications for social work practice and research are discussed.
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Predialysis Anxiety: What are the Concerns of Patients?
Steven A. Iacono, LMSW
The presence and intensity of predialysis anxiety was investigated. Forty-four people who attended a predialysis educational class were evaluated for anxiety before and after attending the class. The majority of participants reported having moderate anxiety. African Americans and women reported higher levels. Participants were most concerned about their level of functionality once they initiate dialysis. However, gender differences were noted with regard to the specific types of concerns. No statistically significant correlation was found between anxiety and educational level or anxiety and age. The class did appear to reduce the level of anxiety for most participants. The majority of those who did not believe that the class reduced their anxiety were women. Further investigation regarding the format of predialysis education is recommended along with more specific tailoring to individual learning needs.
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