Speech-Language Pathology
Day in the Life
Hi! I'm Jenna Goldberg, a second-year Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) student. I am currently in my first off-campus externship placement at Nazareth Hospital; I ultimately hope to be a medical SLP, so I feel very lucky to have the opportunity of working in a hospital this semester! One of the things I love most about my hospital placement is the variety it offers, as it includes both inpatient acute care and an acute rehabilitation floor.
A "day in my life" is always changing at work, depending on if I'm assigned to the inpatient acute care or the acute rehab floor. In inpatient acute care, my day includes performing bedside swallowing evaluations and occasionally conducting video-fluoroscopic swallow studies (VFSS) to assess patients' swallow function. Our main goal is to help patients maintain the least restrictive diet possible while minimizing their risk of aspiration pneumonia. What I find most rewarding about working in inpatient acute care is the variety of each day; every day is different, and I meet many amazing patients each day!
On the acute rehab floor, I conduct swallowing evaluations and treatments but also focus heavily on cognition and speech/language therapy. I frequently work with patients recovering from strokes or other brain injuries, which can impact their cognition, speech/language abilities, and swallowing function. My favorite part of working on the acute rehab floor has been getting to build deeper relationships with my patients and witnessing their progress as they work towards their therapy goals. Working in the hospital this semester has been an incredibly rewarding experience. I have a wonderful supervisor who I have learned so much from, and I've had the privilege of working with some truly inspiring patients.
Here's a glimpse of what a typical day in my life looks like:
6:00 a.m.: Wake up, get ready, and make coffee (always a necessity).
7:30 a.m.: Arrive at the hospital and start my day.
7:30 a.m. - 8:30 a.m.: Review my patients for the day. I'll take a look at their reasons for admission, medical histories, and any relevant imaging. Then, I'll briefly review with my supervisor before we start seeing patients.
8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.: See my patients and document! On the rehab floor, team meetings are held every Tuesday and Thursday at 11:00 a.m. These meetings involved the interdisciplinary rehab team (PT, OT, and SLP) alongside the nurse and doctor. The team meets with the patients and their families to discuss progress and discharge planning.
3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.: Drive home and take a short break before class.
5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.: Attend virtual classes from home on Mondays and Wednesdays. On non-class days, I'll head to the gym or work on assignments after work.
7:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.: Make dinner, do homework, and either watch TV or read before going to bed!
Learn More About the University's Speech-Language Pathology Program
