A pilot project with the University of Calgary and Alberta Health Services offered MacEwan University Bachelor of Social Work students new perspectives – and opportunities.
During the Winter 2023 term, Alishiya De Zilva spent her final practicum rotating through four different units in Alberta hospitals.
“It was eye-opening to see how much social workers can offer on a medical unit,” says the recent graduate. “Helping to dismantle barriers within health care and supporting someone through what might be one of the worst days of their life is difficult, but also such a privilege.”
De Zilva isn’t alone in her interest in applying her social work education in a health-care setting.
“We have a lot of students who are really interested in health-care practicums, and we were looking to create innovative ways to support them,” says Kealey Dube, an assistant professor in MacEwan’s School of Social Work.
Dube teamed up with colleagues at the University of Calgary and partnered with Alberta Health Services (AHS) to develop a conceptual model for a field education program. Their goal? Offer meaningful field experiences for students that also support front-line social workers whose incredibly busy schedules can make it challenging to dedicate the time needed to supervise a student during their 400-hour practicum.
Rather than add to health-care social workers’ already full plates, the pilot program took a collaborative, flexible approach, dividing the practicum into four sections and rotating across hospital units. De Zilva, for example, was mentored by seven different social workers in surgery, medicine, intensive care and cardiology. She worked alongside hospital social workers, helping patients and their families navigate the system – everything from crisis interventions, advocacy, referrals and discharge planning to building sustainable support for them in the community.
“The biggest takeaways for me were understanding the important role of social work in hospital settings and being able to work with an interdisciplinary team to provide care for patients and families,” says De Zilva.
The experience with AHS also opened doors for the new graduate. She followed up her practicum working casual shifts at the University of Alberta Hospital and Misericordia Community Hospital before beginning a full-time temporary position at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in July.
“At the end of the day, people might not remember your name, but they will remember how you made them feel,” says De Zilva. “I hope to make people feel safe and valued and cared for in a setting that can often seem very intimidating.”
Dube says plans to continue the pilot project for the 2023/24 academic year are underway, with the potential for even more hospital sites offering practicum opportunities to social work students from both MacEwan and the University of Calgary.
Know a student who is doing great things? Email communications@macewan.ca to suggest them for a Student Snapshot story.