University of Pennsylvania ScholarlyCommons Doctorate in Social Work (DSW) Dissertations School of Social Policy and Practice 8-2017 MAKING THE CONNECTION: USING SOCIAL CONSTRUCTIVIST THEORY TO EXAMINE DIALYSIS SOCIAL WORKERS’ Charisse E. Marshall University of Pennsylvania, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations_sp2 Part of the Social Work Commons Recommended Citation Marshall, Charisse E., "MAKING THE CONNECTION: USING SOCIAL CONSTRUCTIVIST THEORY TO EXAMINE DIALYSIS SOCIAL WORKERS’" (2017). Doctorate in Social Work (DSW) Dissertations. 98. https://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations_sp2/98 This paper is posted at ScholarlyCommons. https://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations_sp2/98 For more information, please contact [email protected]. MAKING THE CONNECTION: USING SOCIAL CONSTRUCTIVIST THEORY TO EXAMINE DIALYSIS SOCIAL WORKERS’ Abstract ABSTRACT MAKING THE CONNECTION: USING SOCIAL CONSTRUCTIVIST THEORY TO EXAMINE DIALYSIS SOCIAL WORKERS’ PERCEPTIONS OF STRESS Charisse Eudella Marshall, LCSW Richard Gelles, Ph.D Lani Nelson-Zlupko, Ph.D., LCSW Work-related stress is a significant aspect of clinical work and case management. oT date, there are few studies available that explore this professional phenomenon in dialysis social work practice. Since dialysis social work is the only genre of social services that is federally mandated, there needs to be more exploration of the professional stressors that may influence the effectiveness of clinical social work. Informed by a thorough literature review, a sample of 12 (N=12) Licensed Master’s Level Social Workers based in New York and Pennsylvania were recruited using various forms of social media and snowball sampling to explore work-related stress in dialysis social work practice. Participants were asked a series of questions regarding their perceptions of stress, coping skills and overall, how they individually handle stress at work. During the interview process, participants described specific experiences with stress on dialysis units that were consistent with current literature. The 12 semi-structured interviews were coded, transcribed, and then textually analyzed using the MAXQDA 11 (1989) professional software for qualitative analysis. Two specific themes emerged from the study: job flexibility and work commitment. The theoretical underpinnings of Social Constructivist Theory were used to explore the common themes uncovered in Chapter 5: Findings. The Social Constructivist Theory ( Dewey, 1933; Vygotsky, 1934; Piaget, 1972; Bruner 1990) suggests that groups and/or communities tend to share values and traits as well as actions. The findings provide insight into the homogeneous perceptions of stress in dialysis social work practice. Degree Type Dissertation Degree Name Doctor of Social Work (DSW) First Advisor Richard Gelles Second Advisor Lani Nelson-Zlupko Third Advisor Alexander Duncan Keywords social constructivist theory, perceptions of stress, dialysis social work Subject Categories Social and Behavioral Sciences | Social Work This dissertation is available at ScholarlyCommons: https://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations_sp2/98 MAKING THE CONNECTION: USING SOCIAL CONSTRUCTIVIST THEORY TO EXAMINE DIALYSIS SOCIAL WORKERS’ PERCEPTIONS OF STRESS CHARISSE EUDELLA MARSHALL A DISSERTATION in SOCIAL WORK Presented to the Faculties of the University of Pennsylvania in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Social Work 2015 Supervisor of Dissertation Signature: Signature ___________________________ __________________________ Richard Gelles, PhD Lani Nelson Zlupko, PhD Joanne and Raymond Welsh Chair or Child Welfare and Family Violence Co-Supervisor of Dissertation Dissertation Committee Richard Gelles, Ph.D. Lani Nelson Zlupko, Ph.D. Alexandra Duncan, DrPH. MAKING THE CONNECTION: USING SOCIAL CONSTRUCTIVIST THEORY TO EXAMINE DIALYSIS SOCIAL WORKERS’ PERCEPTIONS OF STRESS COPYRIGHT © 2015 CHARISSE EUDELLA MARSHALL Dedication I would like to dedicate this dissertation to the late Mrs. Doris Agnatha Jordan Marshall (my mother) and late Mr. Elridge John Worrell Marshall (my father). Doris and Elridge worked tirelessly to give their five children the gifts of love and educational access. I would also like to recognize my siblings Delsia, Cynthia, Meredith, and Wendy, and in-laws Ted and Yolonda for their undying support of this educational endeavor. I hope that this publication inspires my niece Nya and nephews Masai, Cameron, Kobe, and Chase to change the world. iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I want to thank all who supported me throughout this journey. Special thanks to Professor Richard Gelles of the University of Pennsylvania–School of Social Policy & Practice, who served as my First Reader, mentor, and guide throughout this endeavor. A special thanks to the dissertation committee and university faculty members, including Program Director, Dr. Lina Hartocolis and Program Coordinators, Ms. Angel Hogan and Mr. Jeff Curry, for their support. A sincere word of thanks to both the Departments of Social Work and Emergency Medicine of The State University of New York–Downstate Medical Center: namely administrators Mr. Barry Mandel, LCSW, Dr. Roger P. Holt, and Mr. Charles Pryde for their mentorship. I also wish to thank the members of Tau Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. A “heart-felt thank-you” to both Dr. Lani Nelson-Zlupko who served as the Supervisor of Dissertation and Dr. Alexandra Duncan who served as Third Reader. Thank you to Dr. Michelle Kondo for serving as my interim advisor and tutor. To all of my cohort mates, thank you for inspiring me. To Mery Diaz, William Felder, Kimberly Cohens, Nicole McElroy, and Sabrina Gonzalez, thank you for your kindness while I commuted back and forth to campus. iv ABSTRACT MAKING THE CONNECTION: USING SOCIAL CONSTRUCTIVIST THEORY TO EXAMINE DIALYSIS SOCIAL WORKERS’ PERCEPTIONS OF STRESS Charisse Eudella Marshall, LCSW Richard Gelles, Ph.D Lani Nelson-Zlupko, Ph.D., LCSW Work-related stress is a significant aspect of clinical work and case management. To date, there are few studies available that explore this professional phenomenon in dialysis social work practice. Since dialysis social work is the only genre of social services that is federally mandated, there needs to be more exploration of the professional stressors that may influence the effectiveness of clinical social work. Informed by a thorough literature review, a sample of 12 (N=12) Licensed Master’s Level Social Workers based in New York and Pennsylvania were recruited using various forms of social media and snowball sampling to explore work-related stress in dialysis social work practice. Participants were asked a series of questions regarding their perceptions of stress, coping skills and overall, how they individually handle stress at work. During the interview process, participants described specific experiences with stress on dialysis units that were consistent with current literature. The 12 semi-structured interviews were coded, transcribed, and then textually analyzed using the MAXQDA 11 (1989) professional software for qualitative analysis. Two specific themes emerged from the study: job flexibility and work commitment. The theoretical underpinnings of Social Constructivist Theory were used to explore the common themes uncovered in Chapter 5: Findings. The v Social Constructivist Theory ( Dewey, 1933; Vygotsky, 1934; Piaget, 1972; Bruner 1990) suggests that groups and/or communities tend to share values and traits as well as actions. The findings provide insight into the homogeneous perceptions of stress in dialysis social work practice. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................................ v LIST OF TABLES ................................................................................................................ LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS ................................................................................................ CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................... 1 What is Dialysis Social Work? ....................................................................................... 2 Background of the Problem ............................................................................................ 3 Purpose of Study ............................................................................................................. 5 Research Question(s) ...................................................................................................... 6 Importance of the Study .................................................................................................. 6 Study Limitations ............................................................................................................ 7 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................................................ 9 The Evolution of Dialysis Social Work .......................................................................... 9 The Medical Aspect of Work: Kidney Disease and Dialysis Treatment ...................... 11 Hemodialysis............................................................................................................. 13 Peritoneal Dialysis .................................................................................................... 14 Issues with Hemodialysis and