In the absence of social workers at Danish somatic hospitals: the social dimension in the social nurse function

Mutual negative expectations between socially vulnerable hospitalized patients and healthcare professionals are well-documented. In Denmark, a relatively new occupational function – the social nurse – has emerged, while hospital social workers receive less priority in the Danish healthcare sector. We investigate socially oriented practices that encompass vulnerable patients in a somatic hospital context. We employ ethnographic fieldwork and conduct semi-structured interviews with 12 social nurses across 12 different hospital settings. The analysis draws on elements from Bourdieu's practice theory (specifically the concept of strategy), Goffman's concept of stigma, and Mauss’ theory of the logic of the gift. We identify six specific anti-stigmatizing practices. However, these practices are not unconditional; in exchange for social care, patients are expected to refrain from discharge and remain in the treatment trajectory. The social dimensions within social nursing practices do not challenge the classic medical dominance.