The Impact of Hospital Restructuring on Social Work Field Education

Hospital restructuring has had a dramatic impact on social work practice and field education. In a qualitative focus group study of nine educational coordinators responsible for educational programs in teaching hospitals with 25 to 100 social workers each, four main themes emerged: (1) difficulty managing field education when the actual change experienced in restructuring hospitals was far less progressive and systemic than the hospital missions espoused; (2) a struggle to maintain stable student programs when change was unpredictable; (3) the importance of support, reciprocity, and advocacy from the university; and (4) the need to be creative in delivering the educational program while undergoing organizational change.