Empowerment, skills, and values: a comparative study of nurses and social workers.
This article focuses on social workers and nurses who complement each other's work in providing health care services to their patients. The professional literature suggests that understanding the professional differences between social workers and nurses may lead to more collaboration between these groups. This study empirically compares empowerment, skills, and values of social workers (n = 213) and nurses (n = 152). Nurses reported higher scores in all empowerment and value variables. Nurses also claimed to use more therapeutic and communication skills, and social workers reported the use of more social action skills. The differences in empowerment, skills and values between social workers and nurses are discussed in light of their different professional roles and work environments.
Itzhaky
Haya
H
School of Social Work, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 52900, Israel. itzhah@mail.biu.ac.il
Gerber
Pinchas
P
Dekel
Rachel
R
D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003142:Communication; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D007557:Israel; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology*; D010348:Patient Care Team; D011209:Power, Psychological; D011361:Professional Competence / Q000592:standards*; D024382:Professional Role; D012649:Self Concept; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012945:Social Values; D012947:Social Work / Q000193:education; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires