Social Work Nursing - Case Study Example

Introduction Studying social work is a very interesting and an intense exercise as it allows you to study the phenomenon of social work in differentcontexts. A study at Master’s level would definitely make a person to think and think hard about various issued related with this body of knowledge. A mental health nurse working within the context of social work usually tend to have interactions with the children, adults and old who suffer from various diseases related with mental health therefore the responsibilities and work of mental health workers are not only delicate but also sometimes difficult to perform. A Mental health worker therefore needs to be coordinating with various people including psychtratists etc in order to deliver a comprehensive service to their clients whether in private or public set up. Studying this field of study therefore requires that one must understand the various aspects of the profession, its theoretical foundations, how it practically work and what can be done in order to achieve maximum from what is being taught. For this purpose, you need to continuously upgrade your knowledge base, your skills and your overall attitude towards the profession. To achieve the above, it is therefore critical that before joining the profession, we must set our objectives and perceived outcomes from what we as professionals are going to understand and gain from our overall experience. This essay will discuss my overall response to why I chose the program, how I am going to apply the knowledge gained from this degree, how my knowledge is going to help my future employers and how my present and future development will get affected by this. My Present Position Nursing is a profession which really teaches you beside other professional knowledge as to how to become more patient and serve the humanity with all your heart and soul. It not only provides you a chance to be more caring and considerate but also give you an opportunity to grow as a person. Further Nursing as a profession has evolved over the period of time and has now emerged one of the highly respectable and demanding professions of the world. With these aims in my mind, I chose to consider nursing as my profession Nursing, as a profession, need to have a balanced view where the new entrants into the profession must also know about the academic knowledge of their profession however, they must possess the knowledge of the practical realities of the profession also. However, this can only be done if people who train them should have practical as well as academic knowledge. Since mental health is also related with the psychology of a person therefore I believe this aspect of the profession has also allowed me to consider this as a profession which is worthwhile to be pursued. It is believed the psychology emerged on its modern footings almost a century ago however its influence is still considered to be current in terms of its impact on the overall sciences related with mental and physical health of a person. What was most fascinating about this emergence of the psychology is the fact that it had radically changed the way we use to perceive and view life at large. However no science can play a constructive and positive role in society until and unless it is not ethically practiced. It also must be noted that traditionally psychologists have relied on the principles of value avoiding and value neutral model where it was believed that in order to get the truth- the truth about the person, moral values could not be taken into account. (Lowen, 1993). One of the most important reasons that I wish to study to study for this profession is the fact that it provides a very accurate and true picture of how a person evolve over the period of time. Every person’s life carries a distinct plot, a different set of characteristics which distinguish each of us from others. (Hockbury, 1996,375). It is important in the sense that it provides you a better look at how the life unfolds itself and how we as professionals can contribute towards the overall understanding of this process as well as how that process can better evolved in order to provide cure to different abnormalities which emerge as a result of the disbalances at the various stages of the lifespan development. Perspectives to the Social Work I view my profession in a broader view of the sociology and especially within the context of functionalism. The systems approach to the social life which defines it in terms of functions and systems give birth to a new class system in the society which is more accurate and closer to the rational classification of society. (Stahovski 1999).This approach can provide a better understanding and interpretation of other cultures as compared to other approaches to social life. (Schmaus 1999) By defining social life in terms of the function and systems allow to define social facts in terms of functional relationships thus it greatly help avoid defining social life just in terms of behaviors. Defining social life in terms of functions and systems provide a very concrete list of cultural values, norms, organizations and activities that are essential to describe the social life in more concrete and meaningful way. The concept of functions and systems necessarily outlines that there is causal and effect relationship which binds the social life and make them dependent on each other. Social order refers to the “set of linked social structures, social institutions and social practices which conserve, maintain, and enforce normal ways of behaving and relating” (Wikipedia 2008). Social order therefore is relatively stable system of linked systems and functions and refers to those systems within the society which relatively stable and constant over the period of time. The social order is therefore largely based on the principle of social interdependence as the social order develops out of the dependence of one person over and other and in doing so they develop patterns of norms which ultimately give rise to the social order. Functionalism as defined above is combination of systems and functions with interdependebility on each other therefore as the social order emerges out of the interdependence of the systems and functions therefore it give rise to a comprehensive social life. Viewing from this perspective I believe, we as a part of system tend to show our reactions and attitudes to various situations and facts therefore I believe that the current trends in the profession should be well matched with the theory as well as practices. Further, I also believe that current practices need to inculcate more ethics into it. Ethics is the systematic study of moral reasoning in theory and practice. It clarifies questions about right and wrong, but also demonstrates their complexity: most ethical theories and many moral judgments are contestable. Some norms, values or principles are sufficiently widely agreed for codes of professional practice or laws to be based on them. But no ethical theory or decision-making method yields unequivocal conclusions which convince everybody: too many different beliefs, philosophies, cultural backgrounds and life experiences influence our views of right and wrong. Meaningful and constructive discussion of practical ethical problems nevertheless is possible when conceptual frameworks developed throughout the history of ethical reasoning are used to examine the facts and values in question. Such discussions can lead to a degree of consensus, or at least to a mutual understanding of divergent views. (Benn & Boyd, 1996). Ben & Boyd are of the view that besides following broader theories of ethics, professionals also take into consideration various ethical principles when dealing with the issue of clinical trials of patients associated with mental health problems. On the much broader scale, there are three core principles which have been extensively discussed and practiced. These three core areas include respect for the person, beneficence and justice. Ben and Boyd are of the view that the respect for individual includes providing access to the information which helps individuals to decide upon themselves however when a psychologist is managing a patient with mental health related issued, psychologists may not fully comply with this ethical standard as patients who pass through intense trauma can develop tendencies to commit suicides. My contribution to the Program and employers I believe that my idea about the program is clear and I expect that I will learn modern theory and practices which are based on ethical foundations. To me ethics are of greatest importance for success in any profession therefore my contribution to the program would be to try to build an environment within the class room which focuses on ethical practices and a positive and constructive contribution from my fellow students. My employers, after graduating, would find me as employee who possesses modern knowledge and understanding of the profession besides having deep rooted beliefs in viewing my profession on a large scale of the society. A socially and ethically responsible employer would find me as a great worker. References 1. Lowen, J. (1993). Is Everything Permitted? Reconnecting Psychology and Ethics. Free Inquiry , 13 (3), 22+. 2. Hockbury, H. &. (1996). Psychology. New York: New York 3. Schmaus, Warren. "Functionalism and the Meaning of Social Facts." Philosophy of Science, 1999: S314-S323. 4. Stahovski, Nadejda. "On Structural and Functional Status of Culture in the Social System." www.sociology.org. 1999. http://www.sociology.org/content/vol004.003/romanian.html (accessed July 11, 2008). 5. Wikipedia. "Social Order." www.wikipedia.com. 2008. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_order (accessed July10, 2008). 6. Benn, C., & Boyd, K. (1996). Ethics, medical ethics and HIV/AIDS - Does Ethics Divide or Unite? Some Orthodox Visions of Ecumenism. Ecumenical Review , 5. Read More