Volume 25, May 2006
Table of Contents
Literature Review: Nephrology Social Work: History in the Making.
Teri Browne, MSW, LSW
Promoting Resilience in ESRD: Evaluation of a Group Cognitive-Behavioral Intervention for Patients on Hemodialysis.
Jessica Cabness, DSW, LCSW; Cindy Miller, MSW, LCSW; Kia Flowers, MSW
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"So You Want to Be a Pediatric Renal Social Worker…"
Sandra K. Coorough, ACSW, LCSW, BCD, C-ASWCM
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An Antidote to the Emerging Two-Tier Organ Donation Policy in Canada: The Public Cadaveric Organ Donation Program.
Stephen Giles, MSW (Reprinted with permission from the Journal of Medical Ethics 31:188-191.)
Building the Bridge: Social Workers Are Needed for Transitional Work with Pediatric Renal Patients.
Caroline Jennette, MSW; Maria Ferris, MPH, MD, UNC
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Social Workers Explore Possible Risk Factors for Depression in New Hemodialysis Patients.
Laura Root, MSN, LCSW
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Using Patient Focus Groups to Respond to Patient Satisfaction Surveys.
Wendy Funk Schrag, LMSW, ACSW
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Outcomes-Driven Social Work: Repackaging the Wheel.
Allison Widmann, LCSW-C, MSW, MPP
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Awakening the Advocacy/Education Role of Nephrology Social Workers: The Case of the Socioeconomic and Racial Disparity in Transplant Evaluations.
William A. Wolfe, MSW
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Book Review: "The Rights of the Dying: A Companion for Life's Final Moments"
by David Kessler. Reviewed by Anne Hutchinson, MSW, LISW
Book Review: "Culture and Clinical Care"
edited by Juliene G. Lipson; Suzanne L. Dibble. Reviewed by Donald Prebus, LCSW.
Book Review: "The Anatomy of Hope: How People Prevail in the Face of Illness"
by Jerome Groopman, MD. Reviewed by Megan Prescott, MSW
CNSW Abstracts from the National Kidney Foundation 2006 Spring Clinical Meetings
CNSW Research Grants Program
Abstracts From Original Articles
Promoting Resilience in ESRD: Evaluation of a Group Cognitive-Behavioral Intervention for Patients on Hemodialysis
Jessica Cabness, DSW, LCSW, Assistant Professor of Social Work; Cindy Miller, MSW, LCSW; Kia Flowers, MSW, University of South Florida College of Arts & Sciences, St. Petersburg, FL
This study examined the efficacy of a six-week group cognitive-behavioral intervention for mediating depression, perceived social support, and quality of life of patients on hemodialysis in west Central Florida. Length of time on dialysis varied from 30 days to over two years. A quasi-experimental multivariate design tested several hypotheses. It was predicted that patients in the experimental group would benefit from the social work intervention as evidenced by improved mood, increased social support, and better life quality than the patients in the control group. The sessions were called "Feeling Better Again: A Life Management Series for People With Chronic Kidney Disease." Patients completing fewer than six sessions were predicted to benefit less than patients completing all six sessions. Length of time on dialysis was also predicted to make a difference in patient responses at pre- and post-test. In this multimethod approach, qualitative data from patient surveys support the quantitative findings, giving the study methodological robustness. The authors propose linking biopsychosocial research with ESRD patients to the resilience construct in order to extend the knowledge base on biological contributors to resilience in adults with chronic kidney disease
Article Currently Unavailable
Outcomes-Driven Social Work: Repackaging the Wheel
Allison Widmann, LCSW-C, MSW, MPP, Focus on Health Care and Human Services Policy, Oakton, VA
One cannot be a social worker today, particularly in nephrology, without exposure to-often-the concept of outcomes-driven social work. As noted by Johnstone (2003, as cited in Root et al., 2005), key principles of outcomes-driven social work are "launch it, measure it, report it." As presented at the National Kidney Foundation 2005 Spring Clinical Meetings' all-day workshop, "Nephrology Social Work: An Outcomes-Driven Practice Model," outcomes-driven social work has both a micro- and a macro- impact on social work interventions. It serves to enhance the level of service social workers-in this case, nephrology social workers (NSWs)-provide, as compared to the "linear model of nephrology social work practice" focusing primarily on TTI [travel, transportation, insurance] (NKF 2005 Spring Clinical Meetings).
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