Speech-language pathologists' views on attrition from the profession

McLaughlin, Emma; Lincoln, Michelle; Adamson, Barbara

doi:10.1080/17549500801923310

Cited by 43 publications

(36 citation statements)

References 15 publications

(19 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The frustration experienced by the speech pathologist when barriers are perceived to stand in the way of this positive experience was also evident. These findings are consistent with previous studies exploring workplace satisfaction for speech pathologists (McLaughlin et al, 2008). This suggests a risk of burnout for speech pathologists in this setting unless a sense of self-efficacy and agency can be facilitated for acute speech pathologists.…”

Section: The Tension Between Relationship and Tasks In Aphasia Managesupporting

confidence: 83%

“…This is of concern, given that an inability to feel you have helped patients and made a difference have been identified as factors contributing to attrition within the speech pathology profession (McLaughlin, Lincoln, & Adamson, 2008). The potential spiral effect resulting from this has not been explored, however it could be hypothesised that attrition in the profession could result in a predominantly inexperienced workforce and a lack of mentoring, with a potential impact upon the provision of care and restrictions upon the growth of clinical expertise.…”

Section: The Implications For Speech Pathologists Working In the Acutmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

“Communication is taking a back seat”: An exploration of aphasia management in acute hospital settings

Foster¹

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

While in the past the focus of speech pathologists working in the acute hospital setting has been service provision to people with communication disorders and their families, their primary role is now in dysphagia. In the limited literature regarding aphasia management in acute hospital settings, there is a lack of consistency regarding the type and amount of intervention being provided to people with aphasia; however, there is consensus that current practice is inconsistent with bestpractice recommendations. Given that aphasia intervention has been identified as being central to improved communicative outcomes, an increased capacity to effectively communicate healthcare needs, a decrease in hospital negative events, and an increased sense of satisfaction for people with aphasia, this is of concern. Little is known about the reasons underlying this evidence-practice gap.The overall aim of this thesis was to provide an understanding of current acute aphasia management practice and the factors that influence it. Specifically, the research aimed to: (a) provide an in-depth understanding of the current aphasia management pathway in the acute hospital setting; (b) explore acute speech-language pathologists' conceptualisation, experiences, and perceptions of post-stroke aphasia management, and provide a greater understanding of the factors that influence their practice; and, (c) understand the factors that influence acute aphasia management from the perspectives of speech pathologists, people with aphasia, and their close others, through a cultural lens.In order to address the research aims, the empirical aspects of this research were conducted in two Phases. Phase One, an interpretative phenomenological investigation, aimed to provide a deep understanding of aphasia management from the perspective of acute speech pathologists. Semistructured, in-depth interviews were undertaken with 15 Australian speech pathologists working with people with aphasia (one of which was later excluded resulting in a total n=14). Interviews were transcribed verbatim, and data were analysed using a thematic analysis. Key themes identified included: role perception; competing priorities; the de-prioritisation of aphasia; and, the sense of disempowerment experienced by speech pathologists as a result of their relationship with evidencebased practice for acute aphasia management. In addition, a qualitative content analysis was undertaken to describe the current aphasia management pathway. Grounded within the guiding construct, First contact with the profession, the findings represented the significant diversity in the ii pathways of care for people with aphasia and their families in the acute hospital setting. Overall, analysis revealed the complex, diverse, and multi-faceted nature of the phenomenon.Phase Two was designed based on the findings of Phase One. It examined the culture of acute aphasia management by speech pathologists in depth, through the use of focused ethnography in a single acute stroke unit. Three participant triads...

show abstract

Section: The Tension Between Relationship and Tasks In Aphasia Managesupporting

confidence: 83%

Section: The Implications For Speech Pathologists Working In the Acutmentioning

confidence: 99%

“Communication is taking a back seat”: An exploration of aphasia management in acute hospital settings

Foster¹

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…McLaughlin reported that negative aspects of being a speech language pathologist included feelings of limited or uncertain clinical efficacy. 145 In contrast, clinicians in our study mentioned that working in the intensive program reduced the feelings of limited efficacy they felt in typical clinical settings. In discussing job satisfaction, school-based speech-language pathologists reported challenges that contribute to perceived stress: lack of opportunities for professional development, decreased time and workload management.…”

Section: Returning To Work In "Typical" Clinical Settingcontrasting

confidence: 47%

“…145 They also reported that variety in their jobs, interacting with clients, support and collegiality from working in a team, helping people/making a difference and learning/expanding their knowledge base were the important factors which led to positive experiences working as a speech-language pathologist. Occupational therapists and nurses working in inpatient settings that served patients with eating disorders also reported that patient interaction and building therapeutic relationships were factors that led to job satisfaction.…”

Section: Returning To Work In "Typical" Clinical Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Outcomes of an Intensive Comprehensive Aphasia Program

Babbitt¹

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Intensive comprehensive aphasia programs (ICAP) have increased over the last decade in the US and abroad. The increase in the number of clinical programs has outpaced the research that is necessary to establish the efficacy and effectiveness of these specialized treatment programs. The ICAP model incorporates principles from neuroplasticity, that is, intensive treatment provides a platform for the massed practice and repetition required to change the brain. It also incorporates comprehensive treatment that addresses not only impairment-based language deficits but also personal goals related to participation.Programs which offer intensive comprehensive treatment can provide up to 120 hours of treatment over several weeks (e.g., six hours a day, five days a week for four weeks). ICAPs are different from other types of aphasia services which generally provide two to three hours of therapy a week. This thesis examined one ICAP in depth to describe the structure, process, and outcomes using Donabedian's model of health care evaluation. This thesis also described the experiences of the ICAP from the perspectives of the primary stakeholders.Study One (Chapter Two) was a retrospective quantitative study using behavioral measures from an existing database that documented the outcomes of participants with aphasia. It found that first-time participants improved significantly in impairment-and participationbased measures, demonstrating moderate to large effect sizes. Participant characteristics were examined to determine if improvements were related to age, time post-onset, or type and severity of aphasia. None of these factors had an impact on the amount of change measured. Given that some participants did not make significant gains on a primary outcome measure, the Western Aphasia Battery -Revised Aphasia Quotient (WAB-R AQ), Study Two (Chapter Three) examined whether participant characteristics at baseline could predict who would make significant gains on the WAB-R AQ. Age and months post-onset were significantly different between the responder and the non-responder groups. Those who showed most gains on average were younger and a longer time post-onset. A logistic regression was performed and results indicated that only age (younger participants) predicted who would respond to treatment. Time post-onset, type and severity of aphasia, naming, non-verbal cognition, and communication confidence did not show significance in a predictive model. Studies Three and Four were qualitative studies involving interviews with therapists (Chapter Four) and people with aphasia and their families (Chapter Five). Both studies were 3 conducted using a phenomenological approach which allowed for the interviewees to describe their experiences in a semi-structured interview. The clinicians described the intensity of the therapy, the rewards, and challenges of the program. Therapists also considered that the ICAP model of service delivery had several positive benefits for them, but acknowledged that the intensity of therapy was challe...

show abstract

“…The economic imperative underpinning the services means that, in some instances, therapists reported having large caseloads and participating in unpaid overtime, which are characteristics of allied health roles in the disability sector more generally (e.g., McLaughlin, Lincoln, & Adamson, 2008). Some therapists described an organisational and professional culture whereby allied health professionals take on and/or are expected to take on the workload.…”

Section: Technical Challenge 1: Balancing Quality With Economic Impermentioning

confidence: 99%

Challenges in Implementing Wellness Approaches in Childhood Disability Services: Views from the field

Breen

Wildy

Saggers

2011

International Journal of Disability, Development and Education

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Speech-language pathologists' views on attrition from the profession

Cited by 43 publications

References 15 publications

“Communication is taking a back seat”: An exploration of aphasia management in acute hospital settings

“Communication is taking a back seat”: An exploration of aphasia management in acute hospital settings

Outcomes of an Intensive Comprehensive Aphasia Program

Challenges in Implementing Wellness Approaches in Childhood Disability Services: Views from the field

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About