Social Work at BCHS | Sandra Nimusiima-Kikulwe

In celebration of Social Work Week (March 6-10), we would like you to meet Sandra Nimusiima-Kikulwe.

Sandra is a Registered Social Worker (RSW) here at BCHS on an Inpatient Surgical and Medical Unit, along with the Family Birthing & NICU.

Why is Social Work important?

Social Workers are positioned to identify and fill systemic gaps, provide patients/clients, and their families with key resources and referrals to services and programs.

The profession of Social Work is important because Social Workers support individuals in navigating complex systems from a patient-centered care approach.

More broadly, here at the BCHS Social Workers use an inclusive approach to provide critical support to patients, helping them to navigate a seemingly complex health, mental, and social services systems.

Social Work is important because we work together within the circle of care team, using a collaborative approach to support the safe discharging of patients back to the community from a hospital setting and working with patients who are experiencing all sorts of challenges including precarious living situations or homeless, food insecurities, and all the "isms."

Additionally, social workers at the BCHS play a crucial role in addressing the psychosocial and emotional needs of patients and their families.

Social workers serve as advocates for patients and their families, in various aspects to ensure their voices are heard and supported.

Social workers also play a critical role in palliative care, providing support and guidance during end-of-life care to the patient and their families.

What does Social Work mean to you?

Drawing from the core values embedded in  the Social Work code of ethics, that guides our practise as Social Workers I would say Social work is important to me because;

• Social Work is important because of its focus on social justice as there are inequities in societies that disadvantage black people, Indigenous communities, immigrants, refugees, women, people with disabilities, LGBTQ2SIA+ communities, unhoused people and so on. Although there are some gains in terms of human rights (e.g., Ontario Human Rights Code, Canada Human Rights Act, Canadian Charter) there is still injustice all around us.

• As a social worker practitioner, I cannot “unsee”, “unhear”, and “unfeel” the pain and harm caused by the injustice and the violations of human rights. In my work, I have to make sure that I do not add to injustice, harm, and oppression of others.

• In a conclusion, I have to be culturally responsive, taking into account the different identities of patients (i.e., language, culture, ethnicity, spirituality) as we serve patients and families from a diversity of backgrounds.