Newcastle University

Aims

1.       To provide clinical practice that will allow students to apply a case based problem-solving approach to novel diagnoses within different clinical contexts and demonstrate professionalism through clinically responsible behaviour.
2.       For students to broaden their perspective of professional practice prior to entry to the profession.
3.       For students to focus on service delivery issues related to the profession in addition to managing a specified client caseload.

This module is compulsory for all students undertaking the BSc Hons Speech and Language Programme.

Outline Of Syllabus

Semester 1: Professional Contexts Clinic in campus or community clinic. These will be 1 day/week for 11 weeks contact time, with additional time devoted to the project. There is an additional page for Clinical Evaluation Form (CER) specifically for this placement (see Blackboard and ePortfolio).

Semester 2: Mixed community placement. This will be 5 days/week for 6 weeks (the latter part of the semester). The structure of the block placement will vary across clinics. You may have one supervisor or be based in a range of different settings with more than one supervisor. In the latter situation, we advise that a key supervisor is designated who is responsible for co-ordinating your clinical placement and communicating with other supervisors involved with respect to learning objectives, ongoing input and evaluation.

Scope of the Professional Contexts Clinic

This clinic aims to provide you with the opportunity to manage a small individual and/or group caseload, in addition to exploring a specific issue related to service delivery. It is anticipated that issues covered in this clinic will be varied and specific to different clinics. Examples could include:
1.       The student (or students) is given responsibility for “managing” a small caseload which may involve deciding on different assessment options, prioritising for assessment, prioritising intervention needs, managing the different assessment and intervention needs within a clinic schedule, working with the clients, justifying discharge criteria, etc.
2.       Involvement in a Clinical Audit project (either existing or new) and investigating implications for a specific context and caseload .
3.       Undertaking an evaluation study related to service delivery, e.g. evaluating the effectiveness of group intervention with a specific caseload.

Students may be assigned this clinic individually, in pairs or in small groups. Where there is more than one student, the project may be completed jointly, with each student taking responsibility for a different part of the project (where appropriate). The report (see below) may be completed individually or as a group. See Guidelines below. Please clarify at a very early stage any issues releated to the report format with the Module Leader.

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

In clinical practice sessions, students are required to demonstrate application of theory to clinical practice in assessment, intervention and evaluation of therapy. Students receive 1:1 (and possibly small group) supervision on placement by experienced clinical educators. Students receive an initial clinical induction tutorial with additional tutorials to support preparation for the unseen viva.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

The Service report gives the student opportunity to demonstrate skills in audit and service evaluation related to clinical practice.
In semester 2 the unseen clinical viva will provide equity for students , will provide a truer assessment of clinically relevant skills (replicating as closely as possible a real clinical situation), will not compromise their clinical placement , will be more ethically sound (removing issues of consent and unnecessary assessment).
The Clinical Evaluation Report is a competency based assessment to assess all aspects of clinical skill relevant to practice as a speech and language therapist