Pediatric critical care social work: clinical practice with parents of critically ill children.

Pediatric critical care settings provide medical care to children who have serious, often life-threatening illnesses or injuries. The role of social work in this setting has expanded significantly, paralleling advances in medical technology. The term "critical care" has often been associated with trauma. Today, critical care extends beyond the immediate crisis. Technologic advances can prolong life and necessitate ongoing medical interventions. These interventions create a more hopeful, although fragile life course. Therefore, these developments challenge the social worker to operationalize practice and to create new models of intervention.