In the Hospital: Laura Shea

We spoke with medical social worker Laura Shea, MSW, LICSW on her role at our tertiary care hospital. Laura’s reflections on the struggles and rewards of her job may resonate with those of us who search for balance and meaning in work.

Laura, tell us about yourself. What made you want to be a social worker?

I couldn’t really picture doing anything else. I got a degree in psychology and loved counseling. Social work was a natural fit because of the social justice component and the look into larger systems. I knew I had the skill set for this, and for those most marginalized, to be a supportive person for someone who doesn’t have that.

I also have a family member with major mental illness and chronic suicidality who I supported for a very long time. In many ways, I was a personal social worker advocating on their behalf while growing up. I remember being in high school when they overdosed, and going to the ER in the middle of the night. The next morning, I was back at school. I was a total do-gooder—President of the student council and on top of my grades. I tried dealing with this while keeping up the appearance that everything was ok, even though it wasn’t.

As I got older, there were middle-of-the-night phone calls professing suicidality which were so painful. I learned a lot about compartmentalizing and resiliency. It has given me an incredible amount of empathy for family members of patients. I have learned that it’s not always simple, and decisions aren’t easy, and solutions are complicated and can feel incomplete. We often hear, “Why hasn’t the family stepped in?” Well these issues are hard for families too, I know from firsthand experience.

At the end of the day, as challenging as the work is, I get something from it. I feel honored to bear witness to some of people’s darkest moments and also some of the most beautiful moments—the joys of coming out the other side of their process and journey.

How much of your personal story do you reveal to your patients?

I rarely do. However, to some families that are particularly devastated, I do share some of my family story. I try to affirm their challenge and acknowledge that family and friends can’t always “solve this.”

We have a culture that reveres going above and beyond, however I really honor those family members who can set boundaries. Sometimes caregivers need space, that doesn’t make you a bad person. It’s actually brave and really hard to do. You can’t give from an empty well.