Working in a SNF as an SLP!

This semester I have had the privilege of working at a Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) as a speech-language pathologist student. Not only do I work with some wonderful people and have an excellent supervisor, I absolutely love my patients. I love them so much, that I become sad when I have to discharge them, especially the ones I become very close with. I see my patients every day for at least 30-45 minutes, for 2-4 weeks minimum and sometimes as long as 2 months. Needless to say, we get to know one another pretty well. I learn about their likes/dislikes, hobbies, families, and get to know them on a “friends” basis. By the end of their therapy I no longer consider them my patients, I consider them my friends! This week I actually had a patient come back and visit. When I saw them standing in the doorway I had to do a double take because, they looked so wonderful. I had worked with this patient on their voice. When we met they were aphonic (which means had no voice). After a month and a half of working with me they began regaining their voice back. By the time they were discharged they were producing short sentences, and we both couldn’t be happier. I will always and remember what they said to me at the end of our last session:

 I told them how proud I was of them for how far they have come and their continued motivation in therapy. They responded with “I can use my voice again because of you, thank you”.

Needless to say my heart instantly sank, I almost cried, and I realized in that very moment that I realized the sleepless nights, lack of a social life, beyond stress, and total craziness of grad school is all worth it. It was in that moment, that I received the greatest gift every imaginable, knowing that I made a difference in someone’s life. There is no better form of motivation then knowing you made a difference and seeing your patients making such remarkable progress.

So I say to you all, it will be worth it! When you make connections with your patients, see them make progress, and realize you are making a difference in their lives there is no greater motivation! Remember nothing is impossible and you can do anything you put your mind to! I know I am loving this experience and can’t wait to see what the rest of this journey has in store for me.

Feel free to comment below with any questions about working in a Skilled Nursing Facility =)

-Jessica 

Midterms, Time Managament, and Orangization!

 

 

         Thank goodness, midterms are over! This semester is by far my most challenging and demanding yet. Between working at my clinical full time and attending classes 3-4 nights a week it was difficult to find time to study. I tried to study on the weekends, my nights off from class, before class, and on my lunch break at my clinical. I would even try to record myself reading my notecards or talk out what I could remember to myself while driving (every moment counted). What helped me the most was having a study group the day of my exams. I met with 4-5 girls in my cohort. and went over our entire review. This gave us the chance to talk things out and share how we remember things with each other. After all, we all learn differently!

       I am proud to say I survived getting a brand new case load and midterms all in one week. Now the biggest challenge of all ...............waiting for my grades lol. 

 Graduate school has forced me to master my time management and organizational skills , without either of these I would lose my mind.

Here are some time management and organizational tips that help get me through!

• Write everything down in your planner! My planner is my life. I spend an hour at the start of each semester going through my syllabus's and writing everything out.
• Color code classes. All my classes are color coded by highlighter in my planner. Then I take it a step further and even buy binders to match.
• Plan!!! plan out time to study for exams, work on presentations, and homework.
• Give yourself a break! Breaks and rest are a must otherwise your brain will go into overload and you will be fried.
• Files will be your best friend! I make files on my computer for every class I have every year (ex: research or second year of grad school). This makes it easy for me to find and keep track of things.

These are just some things that work for me. Feel free to comment below with what works for you, maybe I can learn something new =)

 

Until next time!

-Jessica 

Passing the Praxis, Studying for Comps, & My FINAL Semester

This summer was extremely hectic and over whelming as I spent 40+ hours at my last clinical rotation at HealthSouth Rehabilitation Center, completed three classes, and studied for the Speech-Language Pathology Praxis.  The Praxis was the task I worried about most, knowing I needed an 81% (162/200) on the exam in order to receiving a passing score.  I studied almost every day for a month and periodically before that.  I am lucky to have had such great professors because most of my studying was a review.  

I encourage SLP students to purchase the Advanced Review of SLP book, which is basically a comprehensive review of all things speech.  It also comes with several practice praxis tests on a flash drive.  This book is pricey, but if you are as NSSHLA member, a discount may be available.  Although this book is very helpful for review, the questions are very concrete and rarely assess your ability to apply the information.  ETS, the company who creates and administers the test, has one revised Praxis practice test, and several old practice Praxis tests.  The Advanced Review of SLP also has several online tests you can purchase.  This purchase is strictly for practice tests.  These are excellent tools to use when studying for the test and gauging what you need to focus on when studying.

Unofficial results are displayed on your screen, but you are warned that the score is subject to change.  Test takers have to wait for the testing window to close and a few weeks before official scores are reported.  After a grueling three weeks, I received my scores and OH I PASSED on my first try!! :)

My recommendations:
- Don't start studying just a few weeks before.  This isn't a test you can "cram" for.  You need to know the information in and out and have to be able to apply your knowledge.  Plan your weeks out to review the chapters, take practice tests, and revise from there.
- Find a study buddy.  You don't need to study with this person or these people every time, but I found it extremely helpful to "talk it out" with my friends and learn how my friends were understanding or remembering the information.  It is always good to have a new perspective, especially with difficult material.
- Take A LOT of practice tests.  This will allow you to find out where you are having difficulty on the tests.  Most of the practice tests break down your incorrect answers, so you are able to focus on what you are having trouble with.
-  Study often, even for ten minutes a night.
- Review your class notes, not just the Advanced Review of SLP book.  I printed all of my midterm and final study guides and outlined important information.
- Trust your instincts.  Time your practice tests so you are able to gauge how much time you need to acutally complete the test and check your answers.

Advanced Review of SLP Book (with flashdrive)

After taking the Praxis, I had about two weeks off before I needed to get ready for my next and FINAL semester of graduate school.  My final course is Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Populations in Speech Language Pathology with Dr. Hernandez.  It is an interesting course delving into different cultures and how this will effect treatment, diagnosis, and counseling of these clients and their families.

At this point in the semester, a little over half of my cohort is about to take our comprehensive exam.  This exam is administered by Stockton's program and must be passed in order to graduate, unless the student has chosen a thesis route.  Because I spent so much time this summer studying for the Praxis, I feel that this has prepared me for the comps, but I do plan on studying and reviewing throughout October and early November to prep for the test.  I am happy I chose to take the comps rather than completing a thesis because all the studying I completed over the summer for the Praxis overlaps with the studying I am completing to take the comps.  Additionally, I was unable to decide on a subject to study for a thesis until later in my graduate career, past the deadline for a thesis proposal.  Upon completing the comps, I have just a few weeks left in the semester and will officially be done with my graduate career at Stockton University.  Here's to many more hours of studying for the comps while finishing my last semester as a MSCD student and working as a full time speech therapist.

Wish me luck!
- Kaitlyn

Psychiatric Hospital

It's been awhile since my last post. I felt the urge to share with you my experience at my first level II fieldwork. I was placed at a psychiatric hospital. This is what I wanted. I had hoped for this placement before I began OT school. When I found out I was placed at this hospital, I cried because I was so happy. A few weeks later, I found out my placement within the hospital. It was the forensic unit. This meant for the next 3 months I would be working closely with individuals with a mental illness and a legal status. This included sex offenders and murders. Wow. Just typing those words leave me feeling heavy. I was terrified because this was completely out of my comfort zone. This pushed me to my edge. I tried to keep an open mind but it was hard. I still remember my first day- I was so afraid. I remember being starred down, all the inappropriate comments and the men towered over me. I felt like fresh meat in a wild jungle.

This placement turned out to be the most influential experiences of my life. I can't even begin to explain all of the things that I saw. It was like nothing I could have even imagined. Some memories I wish I could take away.

What I really want to speak of is what these patients taught me. They generously shared so much of their life with me. They expressed what its like to be so disconnected from society, what it's like to hear/see violent things that you wish would stop, what it's like to feel numb, what it's like to have no support, and what it's like to live everyday with fear and shame.

It is innate for us as humans to want to feel connected. Therefore, disconnection can be a very dangerous place. 99% of my patients had a horrible upbringing faced with abuse and neglect. It is no surprise that they are disconnected from themselves and society. And yet, it was obvious that many desired that connection. They wanted to be seen, heard, and valued. I as a therapist held space for that. As a result, I quickly became very connected with my patients. I was authentic and openly shared my story with them. A story that I never had enough courage to share. But I too wanted to feel connected. This created space for vulnerability and some patients shared their darkest moments. It made me realize that by showing my own vulnerably allowed others to have the courage to be vulnerable too.

When I truly got to know my patients, I realized that deep within them is a good hearted soul that got lost along the way. I greatly enjoyed my time with them and cried when it was over. They have endured some pretty shitty things and continue to do so. Living in a state psychiatric hospital may be one of the hardest things. But living with a mental illness is even harder. They are brave and courageous. They wake up everyday and continue to live. I commend that.

They changed my perspective completely. They are humans. I see them as my equals and do not define them by their legal status.

I will leave you with this- next time you are about to pass judgement ask yourself- how can I judge this person without even knowing their story.

Peace & love, M

Fun times in Dysphagia Class!

This semester in Dysphagia we are learning more than I could have ever imagined. My favorite part about this class is how hands on it is. Every week we are doing some form of a lab whether it is oral mechanism exams, bedside dysphagia evaluations, working with thickeners (honey, thin, nectar, and pudding), or learning to listen for a proper swallow. This is very beneficial as we get to practice on each other and develop our confidence as clinicians. (Be sure to scroll down for pictures).

In addition to our in class labs, we are completing a Modified Barium Swallow Impairment Training. This is a program designed to teach students/speech-language pathologists how to read modified barium swallow images. Let me tell you, this is just as challenging as it sounds lol………………………thank goodness we have a great teacher! At the end of completing this training we will receive a certificate of completion. Not only will we will have a strong foundation is modified barium swallow studies but, we will be we will stand out even more in terms of future job interviews. 

I hope everyone is having a great semester! Please do not hesitate to post comments or email the graduate school account at Gradschool@stockton.edu with any questions. Simply make the subject Grad Blog, I will be more than happy to respond =)

-Jessica 

Playing a game called "guess what thickener you chose". We were asked to first, pick a cup and fill it half way with out drink of choice. Second, stir it for about 1-2 minutes. Finally, drink it/play with it using a spoon to determine which consistency it was. 

        Professor Cassel performing an Oral Mechanism exam on a student from cohort 4. 

Two students from cohort four practicing an oral mechanism and bedside dysphagia evaluation.

Back to Reality, Second Year Here I Come

Summer is over and school has officially started with no signs of slowing down! This semester I am taking 3 courses (Dysphagia, Motor Speech Disorders, and research), clinic II seminar, and working at my clinical practicum 5 days a week (8:30-4:00). Even though I am already exhausted and know this will be by far my most changing semester, I am loving every moment of it!

So let’s talk about …………..

My classes

          This semester I have professor Cassel for Dysphagia and Motor Speech Disorders which I couldn’t be more excited about. So far we have been doing oral mechanism exams on each other, we made drinks with thickener and had to guess the consistency of it (thin, honey, nectar, or pudding), and this week we did dysphagia (swallowing) screens on one another. Everything I am learning is her class is 100% function and mostly hands on (which is the best way to learn). What is even cooler for me is seeing what I am learning in class and at my clinical practicum come together and really “click”. Being in my clinical this fall gives what I am learning so much more meaning, which means I am that much more motivated.

          My research course is being taught by Dr. Pawlowska who is an expert in this area. We are looking at various articles, the components of research, and will ultimately be writing a research paper on a topic of our interest. She has also explained to us our options for our program. We can either: take the comprehensive examination and three elective courses, develop and complete a thesis, do research on our own or with a friend, or do research with a professor. I am still up in the air with what I want to do at this time, but I have to decide before the semester ends.

          My final course is my clinic II seminar. This is the course that goes hand and hand with my clinical. We meet about 1-2 times a month, have reflections due, are asked to read articles, and we have to make sure we are filling out the proper paper work at the appropriate times with our supervisors. The one assignment I am really excited about is when we have to present on a patient at our clinical. Five of us will be assigned roles (doctor, parents, administrator, and etc.), we will have to pretend we are in a real life conference/IEP meeting and present on our patient of choice. The people playing roles will be required to ask us at least one question, and we have to answer no matter what. This will be a very real life and functional task that will truly benefit us all in the field.

My Clinical Practicum

This semester I have been placed at a skilled nursing facility for my adult practicum. I am primarily working with patients who present with cognitive deficits (Strokes, TBI’s, Dementia, and surgery complications), voice, and expressive/receptive language. I was very nervous going into this clinical as I have not yet had all of the courses for these areas, nor have I worked with adults. My first day I realized I was either going to sink or swim. I was beyond overwhelmed by the documentation required, number of patients seen in a day, and felt out of my element. However, I chose to swim and learn as much as I could to help my patients and myself, after two weeks there I am happy to say my nerves are completely gone!

One of the things I am most grateful for is having such an amazing supervisor, I cannot count my blessings enough with that. He took me right under his wing from the moment I began. My first day I was able to observe him all day (and take the best notes of my life lol), the second day I had three patients (1 cog, 1 speech, and 1 voice), and then the third day I dove right in and had 5 patients (cog, speech, and voice). As nervous as I was to have those first three patients I knew I wasn’t alone. Number one, my supervisor was right there with me and number two, I really did my homework on what I could do with them. Plus when all else fails I think of professor Cassel and use CSI (Common Sense Intervention) =)

After two weeks at my clinical I am seeing about 6-7 patients a day, writing weekly progress notes/updates on my patients, and have almost mastered proper note taking documentation. Not to mention I am slowly but surely understanding Medicare and proper billing. All in all this past two weeks has been an amazing experience and I can’t wait to see how much I have learned come December.

Remember “Nothing worthwhile comes easy, you have to work for it!”  Plus you have the rest of my life to sleep and have a social life lol =)

I hope everyone is having a great semester so far! Be sure to comment below if you have any questions about skilled nursing facilities and SLP’s, grad school, or Stockton’s Graduate Programs!!

-Jessica 

Crazy, Busy Year

It's been a while since my last post, but between clinical, work, classes, and normal craziness, it has been too busy to consistently post.  It is about halfway through my 6th semester, my second summer semester.  This means.. only one more full semester left as a graduate student! What a relief! :)

This past year, as a second year graduate student in the MSCD program, I worked for two different schools as their Speech-Language Specialist.  I was fortunate to work for Middle Twp Public Schools and Cape May County Special Services, two very different settings, but both very rewarding.  While working, I remained a full-time student, taking classes 2-3x a week.  It was exhausting to say the least, but extremely beneficial for my education and experience.  I loved working with the students I was so fortunate to meet and the colleagues I worked with and learned from.

This summer, I am currently placed at HealthSouth Rehabilitation facility.  I LOVE this placement and am SO grateful to have the opportunity to work with these patients.  I am working with adults over the age of 18 who present with TBI(s), strokes, and several other neurological or orthopedic damages or disorders.  I am also taking three classes this summer while also studying for the praxis!

I have been offered and have accepted a full time position at a school district for the fall and can't wait to start!  It has been quite a roller coaster these last few months, but I will forever grateful for the experience, the students/patients I've worked with, and the friends I have made along the way.  Wouldn't have made it this far without the support of my cohort, "The Wolfpack" who always push me to do my best and take time to breathe when its all over!

Summer is Flying by

           It is hard to believe I have had my clients for almost five weeks now and that my first summer course will be ending next week. This summer is truly flying by! My summer class has been a lot of work since it is only 7 weeks and we missed class one week however, it is a very beneficial course for students who wish to work in the school setting. Between my clients, clinic I assignments, my summer class, and working in the office of Graduate & Continuing Studies it has been a busy summer. Once my SLP’s in the Schools course ends I will have one WHOLE WEEK of no classes and only my clients before my Audiology Course begins the second week in July! I am very excited about this break as it is much needed and I will have extra time to work on my clinic I assignments. It is still crazy to think that come August 11^th I will officially have 3 semesters of Graduate School under my belt.

-Jessica