The life of a fully qualified SLT

The life of a fully qualified SLT

Thursday 27 December 2012

Student Voice - Using Social Media

Recently I wrote a piece for the RCSLT Bulletin monthly magazine about how Twitter had supported me through my first year of being a SLT Student and spoke about encouraging other student SLTs, SLTAs and SLTs to join the Twitter world.  I found out that this piece is to be publicised in February 2013 edition of the Bulletin.  When my tutor's at University found out, they offered me a chance to be in the first edition of the University of Essex SLT Newsletter that goes out to all Placement Educators for the Universities SLT department.  Though the whole Newsletter is an in-depth much longer piece, I thought I would add my section in to my blog for all to see and hopefully in February 2013 I can upload my piece from the Bulletin.  If anyone would like a copy of the full University of Essex SLT Newsletter feel free to comment below and I can email a copy onward.


 
University of Essex SLT Newsletter - Click to Enlarge

 

Exciting News

Keep one eye out tomorrow on the Smart Talkers blog - I'm guest blogging for them! 
 
 
 
 
Much thanks to Libby Hill for giving me that opportunity to guest blog! Look out for me on there :)

Hope the holidays are keeping all of you and your families well and you are enjoying some well deserved time off!  I'll be back blogging pieces about my rupcoming esearch proposal and my first adult year placement in the New Year 2013!


Sunday 23 December 2012

Merry Christmas!




MERRY CHRISTMAS  & A HAPPY NEW YEAR
 
TO ALL #SLP2B #SLT2B & #SLPEEPS
 

 
 
from Gemma
(@GemSLT) - Speech and Language Thera-peers Blog

Wednesday 12 December 2012

Communication Partner

During our 2nd (& final!) year we have allocated a placement that is NOT a clinical SLT placement.  It is there for the purpose of developing our communication skills only, not our partners.  It is an opportunity to give another individual social conversation that is an enjoyable experience whilst we students get an opportunity to learn how to adapt our own communication to suit the other, and become aware of how we communicate.
 
We select one individual over the year to work with 1:1 and I have been placed in an Adult LD setting.  I am working with a man in his 20s who is such a laugh.  He is non-verbal but he just laughs and laughs and laughs whilst I continue to entertain.  I have taken this to mean he is having an enjoyable experience so at least I can say I have fulfilled that role!
 
Initially I was unsure of why this placement was in the curriculum, and how this would really benefit me.  But I have found a way to work with someone without being a SLT but still being able to analyse and be aware of my own communication in order to suit the other.  It is a fantastic tool of reflection where I have developed skills within the LD setting, with adults that are non-verbal, with staff and carers and within my own communication.  Though I am now unable to turn my "SLT Brain" off when I am in a communicative environment, I am forever informally assessing the others receptive and expressive skills and non-verbal cues, however I have now found a way to internally analyse this and use this to adapt my communication to suit the clients needs, rather than thinking of interventions or strategies to give to others to engage in.
 
It has also made me realise that training another person to be a Communication Partner (as SLTs may need to in adult carers) and to develop their skills may take time, not only because it takes reflective skills and awareness of communication, but also because the prior education as to WHY it is important is one of the most essential parts to this process.
 
I am now curious how many other SLTs get an opportunity like this to be able to reflect so effectively on their own communication, before having to begin a job where they are reflecting on others communication. Please comment if you do have a similar experience to this as I would love to hear your views :)
 

Twitter Advocate: How to Promote Twitter?

Recently I have become some what of an advocate for Twitter and the benefits of Twitter for SLTs.

This month I wrote a Letter to the Editor of the RCSLTs Bulletin in order to raise awareness of Twitter in the field of SLTs and detail exactly how it has helped me as a Student to be connected to SLT students, SLTAs and Qualified SLTs.

When I told my Tutors at my University that this was to be published they were excited (and apologised for not joining Twitter sooner!) and even asked me to write a piece in the very first edition of the University's SLT Newsletters that will be sent to Practice Educators. 

So during this I have come to realise that many of my Twitter followers that I am connected to come from America, Canada, and Australia.  Now this makes me curious as to how Twitter is promoted over there, is the best way to tackle this lack of UK SLTs on Twitter to be writing in the Bulletin and Newsletters? Or is there a better more technology based way to reach people?

If anyone has any thoughts about this, please do comment - I would love to hear any ideas!

But overall what I have realised through taking on this "advocate" type role, is that Twitter really has supported me through the good times and the bad.  I get to have someone I can proclaim my excitement with, someone that will actually understand why it is exciting (I think I've gone past the point of boring my family with the excitment of swallow assessments!) but I also get to have someone to support me when I am confused, eagerly searching more information on a topic, or worried about how to do something!

So if you are reading this blog (and you haven't come here via my Twitter!) and you are not on Twitter, go & sign up now! Blogs are as beneficial to CPD as Twitter is, but on Blogs you do not get that community sense that you can build with Twitter, so go and join, and "meet" people you never thought you would!

And most importantly don't forget to use hashtags #slpeeps #slp2b and #slt2b to find us SLTs with :)

Tuesday 11 December 2012

Dysphagia Study Week #2

So us lucky students at the University of Essex get a 2 week intensive study on Dysphagia and as a SLT that adores Paed's, and hates anatomy, I went into these 2 weeks thinking "right lets get this over and done with and we can forget about it by 2013" - but I have to admit I have become some what of an A&P Geek! I am buying books, watching youtube videos, tweeting Dysphagia specialists & playing with as many larynx/pharynx/epiglottis models as possible to get my head around it all!
 
Here is a picture with me and todays model - who was dubbed Eddie as he has a workable Epiglottis & in the true sense of SLT alliteration was essential!

Me & Eddie the Epiglottis!
 
 
So over the past 5 days out of the 6 study days we get, we have learned about the stages of the normal swallow & then practiced eating and drinking thinking of how the swallow occured, what stage each occured at, and how difficulty or easy each different food/drink was to swallow. & boy oh boy does this exercise not only make you more aware about how much goes on during a "simple" swallow - but also makes you TIRED! Imagine if you had dysphagia and had to think about each bite.. I think I'd be tired after a couple, as without dysphagia it was tiring to think of how I brought a biscuit to my lips, made lip seal whilst chewing the biscuit, formed a bolus on to centre of tongue, pushed the bolus to the back of my tongue and triggered a swallow and passed this down my oro-pharynx whilst ensuring my larynx-elevation occured and epiglottis folded and carried the bolus down my esophogeus. See, just the thought of the swallowing process is tiring enough!
 
Here's a Videofluroscopy (Instrumental Ax) of a Normal Swallow - incase all that jargon nonesense was too much for you!
 
 
Then following this exercise we had a visit from a COPD Specialist where we taught about the impact of respiration on the swallow - Including highlighting that those with a typical swallow will swallow on an out breathe in a process of:
 
Breathe Out - Swallow - Breathe Out
 
However those with respiratory problems will:
 
Breathe In - Swallow - Breathe In.
 
Thereby breathing in is pulling bolus down to lungs through the larynx passed vocal cords! So aspiration may occur and this leads to worsening of the respiratory problem!
 
Now doesn't this just add to the tiredness - Thinking of how to breathe on top of all those other muscle co-ordinations above!
 
There were many other fascinating things from the COPD day, and I have tweeted a few so head to my Twitter account at @GemSLT or search #dysphagia #slp2b or #slpeeps :)
 
Then we had a dietician visit - & that was interesting to hear that poor fluid or food intake can be as a result of lack of knowledge of nutrition, environment a person is in, medical &/or physical conditions, oral hygeine or most importantly in our field of SLT - Swallowing! 
 
One of the drinks we got to try from the dietician!
 
We were then able to taste some drinks that whilst tasted like strawberry milkshake on initial taste, left a rather unpleasant texture sensation in the mouth! But these were nutritionally complete drinks that are for gaining weight or nutrients in a speedy way for those that may have had a long term dysphagia and had poor nutrition as a result.
 
And finally we get to today; feeling our own swallows, feeling others dry swallows, swallows after drinking normal water, and after feeding others thickened fluids! Now we were only meant to feel our partners swallow, but if I refer you back to my initial comments of becoming a A&P Geek - I preceeded to use my fellow peers as "guinea pigs" and felt so many different swallows - It was so fascinating - You can really feel the larynx elevation during pharyngeal stage and the muscles in the tongue during oral stage!
 
(& although the thickened fluids were a shock to the palate at first, I didn't find the thickened fluids too bad after having 6 different people feed me them in order to feel my swallow!)
 
 
An #SLP2B desk during Swallow Ax!
 
 
So overall I've had a very exciting last 2 weeks of term, where I have discovered a new love in a job that I adore, I have surprised myself with my ability to become "sciency" as I like to now think & think it has been a fun practical way to end this first term of being a (scary but excitable) final year post-grad student!
 
I now have 1 day left of dysphagia - Then 3 weeks leave to work on my research dissertation (await a blog about that!) & then come back in January for a most exciting 8 Day Placement in a Adult LD Setting that I just cannot wait to begin!

Monday 10 December 2012

Blog-Neglect & Being a Tweeter

I have somewhat neglected my blog for what feels like a very long time! (Since June apparently!) Which is surprising to me, as I've found that blogging is a great tool for reflection!  However, the reason for this "blog-neglect" is because I have found an equally fantastic reflective and CPD tool..read on to find out what it is!

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So, over the past few months of this academic term, I have become a great "Tweeter" and feel this is the reason why I have "accidently" engaged in severe blog-neglect! But I would say, to any bloggers that are not on Twitter.. WHY? It is so fabulous. 
 
I am now an avid Tweeter with SLT/SLP's from around the world in so many different locations, who range from Assistants to Students to "want-to-be" students to Qualified SLTs, and it is just so great to get so many different perceptions, opinions, knowledge from the comfort of your home/university/workplace. 
 
I recently wrote a Letter to the Editor of the RCSLT Bulletin on the impact Twitter has had on my CPD as a student and I am very pleased to announce it is being published in the February 2013 edition! So all you UK SLTs keep an eye out for it, and any overseas SLT/SLPs I shall most definitely be updating my Blog & my Twitter account so you can all see my piece as I am very excited about it.

So, though this blog is a short one, it is mainly just to say apologies from me to my blog for its neglect - I do not love Twitter more than it, I would hate for my blog to think that - but I would say, that all your SLT/SLPs, no matter whether assistant/student/qualified/wanna-be student, get on to Twitter! And don't forget the hashtags #SLPeeps and #SLP2B (or #SLT2B in the uk!).

(& hopefully I'll be back again this week to blog about my first term as a final year post-grad SLT student!)