Introduction - Key Roles in Social Care: Nursing to Paramedics
Every human being has the right to live a beautiful, meaningful and nutritious life, and social care plays a leading role for many people in that. It covers people from children to elders, people with physical disabilities and people who need mental health support. Social care is aimed at supporting people to live independently in their way. Social care teaches everyone to live with dignity and freedom.
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Information sheet based on the chosen or social care career path
Social care workers are usually multifaceted families, communities and individuals. They help provide practical and emotional support to people. According to some researchers, this type of social service program helps reduce abuse and economic costs in society, but if it’s not used properly, its effectiveness gradually disappears (Ifsw.org, 2023). Research shows that the chronic stress of loneliness and poor social health is often linked to physical health problems.
Nursing
Nursing is a healthcare profession focused on caring for individuals, families, and communities to help them regain optimal health and wellness of life. Nurses work in hospitals, clinics, physician's offices, and schools, as well as in patients' homes (American Nurses Association, 2018).
There are several roles that a nurse may play, including:
Educating patients and families
Coordinating care
Advocating for patients
Providing emotional support
To be effective in these roles, nurses should possess several professional qualities, including:
“Compassion”
“Attention to detailing”
“Adaptability”
“Problem-solving skills”
“Physical stamina”
Midwifery
Midwifery is a profession within the field of healthcare that focuses on providing care to women and newborns during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period (Who.int, 2023). Midwives are trained to provide a range of healthcare services, including prenatal care, childbirth education, and support during labor and delivery (Internationalmidwives.org, 2018). They may work in hospitals and clinics and may also provide care in homebirth settings (Who.int, 2023). Several professional qualities are important for midwives to possess. Some of the most important ones include:
“Compassion”
“Communication skills”
“Attention to detail”
“Problem-solving skills”
“Physical stamina”
“Adaptability”
Paramedics
Paramedics are healthcare professionals who provide medical care and transportation to patients in emergency and non-emergency situations. They work in ambulances, ‘hospitals’, and ‘community clinics’. The role of a paramedic is to assess and treat patients who are experiencing medical emergencies or other health problems. This may include administering medication, performing diagnostic tests, and providing life support measures such as CPR (Eaton et al. 2020). Several professional qualities are important for paramedics to possess. Some of the most important ones include:
It can be clarified that social work is a profession that focuses on helping individuals, families, and communities to improve their well-being and to resolve social and personal problems (Varghese, Kirpekar and Loganathan, 2020). This may include helping clients access healthcare, housing, and other services, as well as providing counselling and therapy to individuals and families.
“Compassion”
“Communication skills”
“Attention to detail”
“Problem-solving skills”
“Physical stamina”
“Adaptability”
“Leadership skills”
Youth and Community work
Youth and community workers play a vital role in supporting young people and communities, particularly those that are disadvantaged. They work to promote social inclusion, empowerment, and well-being and may be embraced in a sort of conditioning, including community development, education and outreach (Cdc.gov, 2023). This may include helping youthful people to pierce ‘education’, ‘employment’ and other ‘opportunities’, as well as providing counselling and support to individuals and families.
Main Differences between roles in this sector
Nurses are healthcare professionals who are responsible for providing medical care and treatment to patients. They work in a variety of settings, including hospitals, clinics, and private practices, and may specialize in areas such as paediatrics, gerontology, or mental health. In their daily work, nurses may administer medication, take vital signs, assist with diagnostic tests and procedures, and provide patient education (Nhs.uk, 2023). They may also collaborate with physicians and other members of the healthcare team to develop and implement care plans.
Paramedics are also healthcare professionals, but they have a specific focus on providing emergency medical services. They are often the first responders to medical emergencies and are trained to provide advanced life support, such as administering medication and performing advanced medical procedures, in the field (Nhs.uk, 2023). In addition to responding to emergencies, paramedics may also provide medical transport for patients and may work in disaster response and public health preparedness.
Social workers, on the other hand, are professionals who help people cope with the challenges they are facing in their lives. They work in a variety of settings, including hospitals, schools, and community organizations, and may specialize in areas such as child welfare, mental health, or gerontology (Mohanty, Kabi and Mohanty, 2019). In their daily work, social workers may provide counselling and support to individuals, families, and groups, and may also advocate for their clients and connect them to resources and services in the community.
One main difference between these careers is the level of education and training required. Nurses generally need to finish a ‘bachelor's degree in nursing’ and pass a licensure test to practice. Paramedics usually need a certification or ‘associate's degree program’ and pass a ‘certification test’ (Who.int, 2023). Social workers often need to accomplish a ‘bachelor's or master's degree’ in social work and pass a licensure exam.
Another key difference between these roles is the scope of their practice. Nurses and paramedics are primarily focused on providing medical care and treatment, while social workers are focused on addressing social and emotional issues. Besides, one more difference is the setting in which they work (Vaismoradi et al. 2020). Nurses and paramedics may work in ‘hospitals’ and other healthcare facilities, while ‘social workers’ may also work in schools, community centres, and other non-medical settings.
Despite these differences, all three professions play important roles in the healthcare sector. Nurses, paramedics, and social workers may all work together as part of a healthcare team to provide comprehensive care to patients (Cdc.gov, 2023). For example, a nurse may provide medical treatment to a patient, while a social worker helps the patient cope with the emotional and social challenges related to their illness.
In conclusion, while nurses, paramedics, and social workers all play important roles in the healthcare sector, they have different responsibilities and focus on different aspects of care.
Conclusion
It makes health and well-being a real priority and puts a lot of emphasis on prevention. To that end, it helps people with disabilities, and those suffering from mental health issues to lead independent and healthy lives. Be it psychological, social or physical; social care helps transform lives completely and gives experiences that cannot be found anywhere else. A supportive social network can help to develop strong skills and indicate who one will be comfortable with within social situations.
Reference list
Cdc.gov, (2023). “Healthcare Workers” Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/healthcare/default.html [Accessed on: 03.01.2022]
Eaton, G., Wong, G., Williams, V., Roberts, N., and Mahtani, K. R. 2020. Contribution of paramedics in primary and urgent care: a systematic review. The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners, 70(695), pp. e421–e426.
Ifsw.org , (2018). “Definition of social work”. Available at https://www.ifsw.org/what-is-social-work/global-definition-of-social-work/ [Accessed on: 03.01.2022]
Internationalmidwives.org, (2018). “ICM Definition of Midwifery”. Available at https://www.internationalmidwives.org/our-work/policy-and-practice/icm-definitions.html [Accessed on: 03.01.2022]
Mohanty, A., Kabi, A., and Mohanty, A. P. 2019. Health problems in healthcare workers: A review. Journal of family medicine and primary care, 8(8), pp. 2568–2572.
Nhs.uk, (2023). “Consent to treatment” Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/consent-to-treatment/[Accessed on: 03.01.2022]
Vaismoradi, M., Tella, S., A Logan, P., Khakurel, J., and Vizcaya-Moreno, F. 2020. Nurses' Adherence to Patient Safety Principles: A Systematic Review. International journal of environmental research and public health, 17(6), 2028.
Varghese, M., Kirpekar, V., and Loganathan, S. 2020. Family Interventions: Basic Principles and Techniques. Indian journal of psychiatry, 62(Suppl 2), pp. S192–S200.
Who.int, (2020). Nursing and midwifery. Available at https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/nursing-and-midwifery [Accessed on: 03.01.2022]
Who.int, (2023). “Nursing and midwifery” Available at: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/nursing-and-midwifery [Accessed on: 03.01.2022]
