Practical Management of Dysphagia

This course, for experienced clinicians, will equip you with practical skills in dysphagia practice. It will support you to make clear clinical decisions and to continuously develop dysphagia care in your area of work.

You will be supported to utilise the evidence base in your day to day work and to develop creative solutions to difficult dysphagia scenarios. Developing effective networks in dysphagia management will also be facilitated through this course.

You may choose to use the learning and reflection as part of your evidence for the knowledge aspect of the RCSLT dysphagia competencies at B, C and D level.

Developing effective networks in dysphagia management will also be facilitated through this course.

Who is it for?

This course is designed for Speech and Language Therapists and health professionals with experience of working in the field of dysphagia disorders of eating and drinking.

Timetable

This course comprises 5 full days in response to feedback on accessibility for busy, working clinicians who have sufficient clinical experience to reflect on.

It is essential that you attend the final day as this is when participants are expected to complete their assessment presentation.

Module Dates

APR: Tuesday 27 April 2021
MAY: Tuesday 4, 11 and 25 May 2021
JUN: Tuesday 1 and 8 June 2021

Assessment: Tuesday 22 June 2021

Benefits

This course is linked to the RCSLT dysphagia competencies and will support you in self-evaluation and skill development.

This course is worth 15 credits and can be taken as part of a PGCert, PGDip or MSc course, including the MSc Speech, Language and Communications course.

Credits

This course is worth 15 credits toward eligible programmes.

This course bridges practical learning from your clinical practice with theory in order to synthesise learning and support your approach to dysphagia practice.

Content outline

• Models of dysphagia service delivery and your/your service’s philosophy of care
• The relevance of risk to dysphagia management
• The role of outcome measures in your dysphagia service
• Multidisciplinary networks for dysphagia and their role in creating meaningful changes in practice
• Learning from reflection and critical incidents
• The role of leadership in dysphagia care.

Knowledge and understanding

• Assemble and collate relevant and current specialist knowledge of dysphagia assessment and management, drawing on clinical experience and the evidence base.
• Appraise the broader context of dysphagia provision and its influence on individual practice and client experience.

Skills

• Critically evaluate current dysphagia practices and propose creative solutions, drawing on the evidence base.
• Invent, develop and evaluate a range of resources for the continual improvement of dysphagia assessment and management.
• Construct effective inter-professional networks to promote high-quality dysphagia care.

Values and attitudes

• Plan and deliver compassionate person-centred dysphagia assessment and management
• Reflect on and review clinical practice openly and honestly, identifying and implementing outcomes to make positive change.

Teaching

A variety of teaching and learning methods will be blended throughout this course, including:

• practical workshops, adopting role play and working with service users and/or actors;
• seminars
• tutorials
• independent study
• lectures.

This variety of teaching and learning methods is best suited to the practical nature of the course. This course has a range of expert guest lecturers who work in different clinical areas of specialism, across the lifespan and in different professions.

Assessment

Credits

This course is worth 15 credits toward eligible programmes.

Non-EEA students can only apply as part of a programme, not as a stand-alone course.

• A first or upper second class honours degree (or equivalent) in an appropriate subject, or the Licentiate Diploma of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists
• A current professional registration with a relevant professional/statutory body or equivalent
• At least two years' relevant clinical experience working as a Speech and Language Therapist, including some dysphagia experience or specialist experience of working with people with eating and drinking difficulties e.g. Home Enteral Dietician
• A satisfactory academic reference and/or a satisfactory clinical reference.

Although there is no placement requirement attached to this course, it is expected that students will be working or will have sufficient experience to which they can relate their learning from this course.

English requirements

For those students whose first language is not English, the following qualification is also required:

• IELTS: 7.0

• Hansjee, D. (2018). An Acute Model of Care to Guide Eating & Drinking Decisions in the Frail Elderly with Dementia and Dysphagia. Geriatrics, 3(4), 65.
• Ghaye, T and Lillyman, S. (2010) Reflection: principles and practice for healthcare professionals (second edition), London: Quaye Books.
• Heffernan, M. (2012), ‘TED talk: Dare to Disagree’. (YouTube video).
• Psychology & Psychiatry, 56 (8), pp. 835-836.
• Reader, T and Gillespie A. (2013) ‘Patient neglect in healthcare institutions: a systematic review and conceptual model’, Bio Med Central Health Services Research, 13, pp. 156-170.
• Wilson, E. (2012) ‘Comparative analysis of print and multimedia health materials: A review of the literature’, Patient education and counseling, 89(1), p. 7.