Barry L. Hall

‘What about Feelings?’: A Study of Emotion and Tension in Social Work Field Education

Seventy students and field instructors were interviewed in an attempt to identify and understand how upsetting field events were perceived and managed by urban, undergraduate Canadian social work students. The study reports on the emotional impact of the field experience and identifies major sources of tension for students and between field instructors and students.

Peer Suicide Prevention in a Prison

Suicide rates among inmate populations in prisons are considerably higher than in the general population. Suicide prevention is a common need among penal institutions around the world. Traditional approaches involving only correctional staff in suicide prevention efforts have proven to have their limitations. The involvement of inmates in peer prevention efforts seems to be a reasonable alternative approach. This study examines such a program, called SAMS in the Pen, operated jointly between the prison and the Samaritans of Southern Alberta. This service, the first of its kind in Canada, involved inmate volunteers, known as SAMS, who were trained in listening skills, suicide prevention, and risk assessment. Data was collected for the research from volunteers, correctional staff, general inmate population, and professional staff. However, given the low absolute number in the one institution where the study was carried out, statistical analyses were not practical. As with any new service, the SAMS in the Pen experienced some developmental problems but was perceived to be a worthwhile service to both inmates and staff of the prison.

Moral distress: an emerging problem for nurses in long‐term care?

Nurses and other professional caregivers are increasingly recognising the issue of moral distress and the deleterious effect it may have on professional work life, staff recruitment and staff retention. Although the nursing literature has begun to address the issue of moral distress and how to respond to it, much of this literature has typically focused on high acuity areas, such as intensive care nursing. However, with an ageing population and increasing demand for resources and services to meet the needs of older people, it is likely that nurses in long‐term care are going to be increasingly affected by moral distress in their work. This paper briefly reviews the literature pertaining to the concept of moral distress, explores the causes and effects of moral distress within the nursing profession and argues that many nurses and other healthcare professionals working with older persons may need to become increasingly proactive to safeguard against the possibility of moral distress.

Kanadier Mennonites: A Case Study Examining Research Challenges Among Religious Groups

In this article, the authors address the research issues experienced in carrying out a study with the Kanadier Mennonites, members of the Anabaptist religious group who support a lifestyle that demonstrates separation from mainstream society. The authors provide a brief description of the Kanadiers along with the purpose of the research and a synopsis of the sample. They focus primarily on discussing the methodological challenges in approaching this group. In addition, they place emphasis on addressing the research questions in ways that are respectful and nonintrusive. They discuss the lessons learned from the study within the context of qualitative cross-cultural research.

Repeat Callers and the Samaritan Telephone Crisis Line—A Canadian Experience

Telephone crisis lines are increasingly providing a much needed service in the community to the lonely, the depressed, and the suicidal. The Samaritan volunteer crisis line discussed here is open to any person at any time, day or night. The instant availability of such an anonymous service attracts callers who use the line inappropriately; these people are often referred to as repeat callers. The Samaritans discovered that repeat callers were creating serious problems for both staff and volunteers. The difficult task was to develop a policy to restrict the repeat callers, but at the same time ensuring that the mandate of the crisis line was offered to them. This article examines the characteristics of repeat callers, and makes suggestions about the management of the chronic caller.

The Role of Adult Children in Helping Chronically Ill Hospitalized Parents.

The study identified the types of help provided by 27 adult children to their hospitalized chronically ill parents. The investigation further examined the childs helping behavior in relation to stress and strain, as well as dependence of the parent on the child. The results demonstrated that despite profound stress and strain felt by children, they still provided a range of helping behaviors within the formal caregiving structures of the acute care hospital. Dependence was a weak indicator of the adult childs helping behavior, while stress was a stronger indicator.

Caring in the wake of the rising tide: Moral distress in residential nursing care of people living with dementia

Objective Moral distress is increasingly being recognized as a concern for health care professionals. The purpose of this study was to explore the nature and prevalence of moral distress among nursing staff who care for people living with dementia. Methods This study was focused on nursing staff caring for people with dementia in long-term care and assisted living sites. The Moral Distress in Dementia Care Survey instrument was distributed to 23 sites and nursing staff rated the frequency and severity of situations that were identified as potentially causing moral distress. Results Moral distress is prevalent in the nursing staff who provide dementia care. Nursing staff reported experiencing moral distress at least daily or weekly. Both frequency and severity of moral distress increased with proximity to (amount of time spent at) the bedside. Moral distress had negative psychological and physiological effects on nursing staff, and affected intention to quit.

Sources of moral distress for nursing staff providing care to residents with dementia

The World Health Organization estimates the number of people living with dementia at approximately 35.6 million; they project a doubling of this number by 2030 and tripling by 2050. Although the majority of people living with a dementia live in the community, residential facility care by nursing care providers is a significant component of the dementia journey in most countries. Research has also shown that caring for persons with dementia can be emotionally, physically, and ethically challenging, and that turnover in nursing staff in residential care settings tends to be high. Moral distress has been explored in a variety of settings where nurses provide acute or intensive care. The concept, however, has not previously been explored in residential facility care settings, particularly as related to the care of persons with dementia. In this paper, we explore moral distress in these settings, using Nathaniel’s definition of moral distress: the pain or anguish affecting the mind, body, or relationships in response to a situation in which the person is aware of a moral problem, acknowledges moral responsibility, makes a moral judgment about the correct action and yet, as a result of real or perceived constraints, cannot do what is thought to be right. We report findings from a qualitative study of moral distress in a single health region in a Canadian province. Our aim in this paper is to share findings that elucidate the sources of moral distress experienced by nursing care providers in the residential care of people living with dementia.

Can Professionals and Nonprofessionals Work Together Following a Suicide

Suicide is the taking of ones own life by ones own hand. It is often sudden and creates many emotional reactions for the survivors left behind. Survivor responses can be impacted by a range of circumstances, from how the person died to the reactions of people to the survivor. This contribution examines the uniqueness of survivor grief and how best to help survivors. It is suggested that their grief may be too quickly viewed as pathological, resulting in the premature medicalization of basically normal reactions. It is time for professionals and nonprofessionals to recognize boundaries and work toward mutual goals of health for those persons left behind after a suicide.

Social work and Kanadier Mennonites : Challenges and rewards

Abstract The study to be reported on provides some insight and knowledge into the Kanadier Mennonites, a religious group in Alberta, Canada, for whom very little is known in regard to their health seeking behaviors. Social workers, using this information, will be in a better position to provide sensitive services to a religious group of people where communication with outsiders is not encouraged. Ministers, using bible interpretation, play an important role in how the people understand concepts of health and social problems. The results demonstrate that professionals cannot separate the social and health problems of the Kanadier Mennonites from their religious beliefs.