Lessons From a CFY Week 3 and 4
The last two weeks of my CF have been more time consuming now that I have a fuller caseload. Therefore, lessons from a CFY week 3 and 4 are combined.
Here’s what I learned.
Initiative... A CF's Superpower
In externships, we had a lot to prove. It was our first time as a clinician out in the real world. Even though I didn’t get paid, I felt it was important for me to go above and beyond. I’m glad I did. I learned more and I got to make my own impact everywhere I went.
At my hospital externship, I spoke in a stroke support group. I created a dysphagia training video. The latter made the SLPs jobs easier as it reduced the need for them to conduct a training every few months for new employees. If you work in a hospital, you know how pressed for time SLPs and other staff can be.
Now, how does initiative help in your CF? Well, I really can’t think of a reason it doesn’t.
CFY Lesson 3.1: Taking Initiative
As a CF, we are full-blown SLPs. I’ve probably mentioned this every week. But we are SLPs, with a caseload, making our own decisions. It’s exciting, and scary. I am still adapting to the fact that I am seeing the same kids every week. I am responsible for their progress. The course of their treatment. That being said, we won’t always know the answer. A strategy we thought could work doesn’t end up working for the person. This is one way we can, and should take initiative. Go to your supervisor with specific questions and hypotheses. Don’t wait for them to tell you what to do. Seek out input from multiple sources— the parents, colleagues, coworkers, research. This is the way you can learn the most, make the most informed decisions, and ultimately do the best for your client.
Trial and Error
As you start to make treatment decisions, some may not always be right for your patient. This is totally okay and expected, as long as you find the method that does work best for them. It is always great to continue with what previous SLPs did, if you take over a caseload. It’s also great to expand on it when appropriate, because it can lead to new achievements for your client or patient.
CFY Lesson 3.2: Changing the Plan of Care
For some patients, they may have existing goals that are not appropriate, already met, or too hard for a patient. In my case, I have a patient working on stuttering. She has a solid understanding of her strategies, so now I want to expand on that. I want to try a new approach focusing more on the emotional aspect of stuttering. The client may not be receptive to it, but at her age, it is something that research shows is effective. It can feel like a risk or an overstepping to do this just starting out. However, I’ve been learning to shift my mindset and think of it is as my own creation of a plan that could turn into something great. It can start out as a trial. If it works, it can evolve with time. Eventually, it may become something solid. Something you are confident in. If it doesn’t, then you can take that information and try something else. I am beginning to love how creative SLPs can be in therapy.
Planning Ahead
It’s okay, and even encouraged, to think of your entire career path, even as a CF. I have some pretty big goals I hope to achieve. I am making decisions now that I hope will help me progress to where I want to be. I even made decisions before that now I realize will help me even more!
CFY Lesson 4.1: Thinking of Your Career Journey
With this lesson, I’m not talking about making some big map with specific companies and jobs you want to have. I’m talking about making goals that fit into your career. By making goals instead of choosing specific places, this opens up your career. It gives you more than one path to achieve things you want. I started thinking about this because I am definitely not where I had set out to be with my jobs. I am really happy with where I ended up, and if I hadn’t shifted my focus to my goals, and thought in a more overarching view of my career path, I wouldn’t be here. I also got this idea from my friend, Olivia Sod who makes awesome career tiktoks. Check her out here.
Time... Does It Exist?
As a CF, free time is pretty scarce for me. It can be really frustrating for me to get home and just fall asleep. Especially after two years of being at home with a more flexible schedule. I get home wanting to do 10 things I enjoy, like working on the blog, but don’t do any of them. How do I handle this?
CFY Lesson 4.2: Creating Time for Yourself
As a raging introvert (are those opposite concepts??), I am a huge proponent of having time for yourself. As a CF, it can be really hard to find. In the last four weeks, I’ve learned to adjust. I get little windows of time where I can decompress. I started my CF that I would work during the day, go home, and get time to dedicate to my blog and other projects. There has not been one day where that happened. Granted, my family is moving and all my extra energy is dedicated to packing, but still. It’s not realistic or healthy. So I’ve tried to adapt. I added meditation to my morning routine, whether on my bed or on my drive. It really can help keep my whole day more positive. I also get home, listen to a podcast and eat my dinner. I’ve learned to enjoy these little moments of mindfulness.
I hope these CFY lessons made sense to you all. If they help you prepare for your CF and reduce anxiety, I achieved my goal. What lessons have you learned in your CFY? Comment below!
For more SLP content, visit my SLP page for blog posts, videos and more! Make sure to read last week’s CFY lessons too!
