Main Article Content
Abstract
The present paper is on the perception and attitudes of health care workers towards integration of social work professionals in medical practices. Primary source of data was generated through self- administered questionnaires. The population of the study was 800medical staffs, while the sample size of 267 was determined using the Taro Yamane’s formula for sample size determination. The study involved different cadres of hospital staff including; clinicians, nurses, radiologists, dental officers and hospital nutritionist. The research findings have shown that; the majority (54.6%) of the medical staff indicated that the hospital social workers’ are not allowed to take decision effecting their work, thereby leading to a delay in decision making. The implication of this result is that social workers in the hospital will lack job satisfaction which may lead to poor service delivery. This portrays a prospect of social workers being underutilized. The general outcome of this realization is that most of the patients and clients would always fail to obtain care, assistance and advice from the social workers; hence be treated as normal medical cases. The study has determined that the perception of hospital health workers towards social work professionals is satisfactory as majority of the medical staff indicated that social work were a very important cadre in the hospital. Staffs who were not aware of the presence of social workers at the hospital recommended that they be employed; while those who were aware of the presence of social workers at the hospital recommended that their number should be increased and all medical staff be informed on the roles and functions of social workers in the hospital. It was recommended among others that Hospital social workers should fully participate in making ward rounds together with other health care teams in order for them to play their roles.