What personal qualities and professional values did Celia bring to her professional practice?

Question

Celia O’Neil, a 39-year-old baccalaureate social work student, was assigned to complete her internship in a nursing facility where she had been employed for the past 12 years and continued to work three days a week as the Activity Director. The social work director, Betty Williams, LSW, was Celia’s task supervisor but new to the nursing home setting. Therefore, Sally Jones, LCSW, served as Celica’s preceptor. Celia’s client, Mr. Brown, was a 47-year-old man admitted to the nursing home in June 2001 with numerous psychosocial needs. Celia was frustrated by what she interpreted as Betty’s lack of effort to assist Mr. Brown. She began to wonder whether her supervisor cared about the client, and she found the nursing staff uncaring and non-supportive. In addition, the nursing staff made rude comments about Mr. Brown right in front of him, which upset Celia a great deal. She felt the comments were abusive and she wondered how to advocate for Mr. Brown.

Answer 1

She appeared to be very caring and willing to go above and beyond the call of duty to help her clients. She reached into her own purse to pay for items desired by a resident (e.g., driver’s license, cigarettes), which showed that she cared, but she seemed to lack awareness that she crossed professional boundaries when becoming overly involved with a resident. This may have caused her to lose objectivity in her work. As a social work student she would be expected to hold social work values, including self-determination, social justice, service to clients, nondiscrimination, and respect for the dignity and worth of clients, as well as values underlying advocacy for populations at risk.