Educating Resilient Practitioners

Abstract

This chapter addresses the needs for social work students to graduate as practitioners able to demonstrate resilience in the face of competing stakeholder expectations and complex practice environments. Identifying a synergy between social work identity and current research regarding the concept of resilience, the chapter considers strategies for embedding a focus on the development of a resilient practitioner within the social work curriculum. The chapter emphasises the nurturing of skills of critical reflection and self-care, knowledge bases that inform an understanding of resilience, and the creation of reflective processes such as supervision and professional development that can sustain resilience beyond the academy and into professional practice.

Themes in the supervision of social care students in Ireland: building resilience

“…Participants related the necessity of being supportive to students to the nature of social care work. They acknowledged the emotionality involved in the work and the validity of students reactions as recommended by Kearns and McArdle (2012), accepting that the 'reality of residential care work' (1RC) or 'dealing with people in crisis' (6HS) is very challenging for students (Beddoe et al, 2013). Participants were clear about sending the message to students that they were available to provide social support and the student could communicate their feelings to them:…”

“…Students may suffer more from stress than workers due to being challenged by the reality of the work and the level of clients' problems (Beddoe et al, 2013). Due to reported levels of stress research has more recently focused on resilience as a protective factor.…”

“…However practice teachers can be reluctant to give students negative feedback in case it damages the relationship (Bogo, Regehr, Power, & Regehr, 2007). Some propose reframing mistakes as learning opportunities to foster students' development (Beddoe, Davys, & Adamson, 2013). Also it is suggested that focusing on successful interventions and outcomes will increase compassion satisfaction and buffer against compassion fatigue (Harr & Moore, 2011).…”

“…As experienced social workers have a more sophisticated understanding of resilience than students, viewing it as involving the interaction between the person's characteristics and a supportive environment and requiring constructive management, Grant and Kinman (2013) suggest that are they ideally positioned to help students enhance their resilience. Practice teachers see their role in promoting resilience as involving modelling self-care, encouraging self-awareness, making theoretical concepts concrete and providing supervision (Beddoe, et al, 2013). McAllister and McKinnon (2009) go further and suggest that professional preparation in the health professions should include aspects of transformative education in fostering resiliency.…”

“…Distinguishing between personal and professional views and values so that a clear boundary between the personal and professional self is maintained, having dealt with their own personal issues, taking responsibility for self and learning and keeping the aim of the work and its theoretical rationale in mind are discussed (Beddoe, et al, 2013;Adamson, Beddoe, & Davys, 2014). As experienced social workers have a more sophisticated understanding of resilience than students, viewing it as involving the interaction between the person's characteristics and a supportive environment and requiring constructive management, Grant and Kinman (2013) suggest that are they ideally positioned to help students enhance their resilience.…”