Exploring Social Worker Knowledge, Conceptualization, and Use of Cultural Humility in Hospice

This capstone project examined social workers’ knowledge, values, and beliefs as related to the concept of cultural humility to determine how hospice care professionals treat patients’ cultural preferences and traditions with respect and sensitivity at the end of life; as such practices have the ability to improve the hospice experience. Research questions addressed in the study (a) how social workers in Nevada define cultural humility in the context of hospice social work practice, (b) the values or principles hospice social workers in Nevada consider most important in providing culturally appropriate care to hospice patients, and (c) the ways hospice social workers in Nevada implemented a cultural humility stance within their practice. To obtain data for this project, connections with the local hospice care community were used to recruit interested individuals directly involved in service delivery through a convenience sampling method. Participant data was collected via a focus group with 9 participants, which was then recorded, transcribed, and analyzed. The method of analysis was thematic exploration and estimation of the prevalence of identified themes. Five major themes were identified through analyses: (a) individualized culture, (b) respect for others, (c) team-oriented approach, (d) implementation of cultural humility, (e) lack of formal training and integration of hands-on experience. Findings contribute to the generic hospice services knowledge base, working in synergy with previous research findings to help encourage future research studies on this topic