Day in the life
A Day in the Life of a Healthcare Social Worker
What healthcare social workers actually do from the start of a shift to the end: the tasks, tools, schedule and realities of the job.
What is a typical day like for a healthcare social worker?
Attend interdisciplinary rounds. From there, the day usually includes assess patient and family needs, plan hospital discharges, and arrange home care and placements. Most work full-time; hospital roles may include weekends and evenings.
Hour by hour: a typical shift
No two days are identical, but this timeline reflects a realistic day for a healthcare social worker working full time.
- Attend interdisciplinary rounds.
- Meet a family about discharge to rehab.
- Call insurance to approve home health.
- Counsel a patient after a new cancer diagnosis.
- Help a family complete an advance directive.
- Arrange transportation for dialysis.
- Document assessments and plans.
Where healthcare social workers work
Healthcare social workers work in hospitals, hospices, clinics and patients’ homes.
Hours and schedule
Most work full-time; hospital roles may include weekends and evenings.
Tasks you’ll do most often
- Assess patient and family needs
- Plan hospital discharges
- Arrange home care and placements
- Counsel patients and families
- Help with advance directives
- Connect patients to financial resources
- Coordinate with medical teams
Tools you’ll use every day
- Electronic health records
- Discharge planning software
- Resource directories
- Assessment tools
- Phones and fax
- Care coordination platforms
The best and hardest parts of the job
What people like
- Faster-than-average growth
- Meaningful patient impact
- Team-based medical setting
- Clinical career path
What’s hard
- Emotional cases and end-of-life care
- Pressure to discharge quickly
- Insurance hassles
- Master’s degree required
You’ll likely thrive if…
- I want to help patients and families
- I can handle illness and end-of-life conversations
- I like working with medical teams
- I’m a strong advocate
- I’m organized
- I’m willing to earn an MSW
Not sure? Take the free Healthcare Social Worker fit quiz or the Career Match Quiz.
Staying safe on the job
- Follow infection control in hospitals
- Use de-escalation with distressed families
- Protect patient privacy under HIPAA
- Use supervision and self-care