Write a Hospital Social Worker Resume Built for Discharge Planning
A hospital social worker resume guide covering discharge planning keywords, unit detail, psychosocial assessment examples, and an acute care sample.
Example Hospital Social Worker summary
Hospital social worker with six years in acute care, covering medical-surgical, step-down and emergency department referrals. Completes psychosocial assessments on tight timelines, arranges skilled nursing and home health placements, and screens for unsafe discharge, elder abuse and substance use. Works closely with hospitalists and utilization review to clear discharge barriers early. Seeking a care management role in a larger trauma center.
Skills to list on a Hospital Social Worker resume
- Psychosocial assessment
- Discharge planning
- Post-acute care placement
- Skilled nursing referral
- Home health coordination
- Hospice and palliative referral
- Advance directives and POLST
- Adult protective services reporting
- Crisis and suicide risk assessment
- Substance use screening and referral
- Interdisciplinary rounds
- Utilization review collaboration
- Guardianship referral
- Epic documentation
What actually gets this resume read
- Name the units you covered and the bed count, because an emergency department and an oncology floor need different skills.
- Give discharge volume: assessments completed, discharges arranged weekly, and average length of stay pressure.
- List the post-acute settings you placed into, from skilled nursing to inpatient rehabilitation and hospice.
- Show the interdisciplinary side by naming rounds, utilization review partnership and physician communication.
- Include the electronic health record and any readmission reduction work you contributed to.
- State your license type and level, since acute care postings often require independent clinical licensure.