(105) Powering Up Soft Skills in Graduate Level Clinical Education in Speech Language Pathology

Abstract: Soft skills have long been identified as skills needed by speech language pathologists and other healthcare and related service professions. They can be described as skills that are not strictly cognitive or technical (Dolev et al, 2021) but rather include both interpersonal and interprofessional skills. It is notable that perspective employer surveys are focused more on soft skills than technical skills. However, there continues to be gaps in explicitly addressing and integrating soft skills early in some clinical education programs. This session will compare and contrast existing evaluation of soft skill competencies with employer expectations. Session participants will be provided activities and strategies to promote their students’ development and growth of soft skills throughout their clinical experiences across settings.
Summary of Presentation :
[PLEASE NOTE: The topic Content Area did not include Supervision, therfore this presentation was placed under Professional Affairs, with Ethics as an additional content area]
To be a successful speech language pathologist, it is important to have both technical skills (e.g., knowledge of disorder areas, strong consideration of evidence-based practice for disorder areas, use of diagnostic and treatment protocols) and non-technical skills. Some refer to technical and non-technical skills as hard and soft skills, respectfully. Tulgan (2015) shared that we need to address the gap in soft skills and stated, “People get hired because of their hard skills, but people get fired because of their soft skills.” Potential employers are sending surveys to the applicants’ references as part of the interview process for clinical fellowship (CF) positions in speech language pathology. Per informal review of a variety of these employment surveys, approximately 80% to 85% of the survey questions asked, have been focused on non-technical skills. Per informal review of the surveys, examples of non-technical skills are as follows: respect, constructive and cooperative working relationships, effective communication skills, dependability, listening, flexibility, attitude, openness to feedback, critical thinking, learning orientation, initiative, confidence, honesty, integrity, maturity, handling of stressful situations, self-control, and advocacy. Promis (2007) identified soft skills in the area of emotional intelligence sought by prospective employers. The most commonly listed soft skills in job listings, as identified by Promis (2007), were innovation, initiative, service orientation, diversity, communication, leadership, collaboration and cooperation, as well as team capabilities. It is fascinating that in a 1918 study of engineering education conducted by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching (Mann, 1918) found that technical skills were significantly less important than non-technical skills, now known as soft skills, for successful employment and promotion. This underscores the importance of explicit teaching of soft skill development in clinical education.

KASA standards (ASHA, 2020) for non-technical skills are related to professionalism; accountability; effective communication skills; establishing rapport; showing caring and compassion; recognizing the needs, values, and preferred mode of communication of others; respect of cultural linguistic backgrounds; collaborative practice; and adherence to the ASHA Code of Ethics and Scope of Practice. For success in clinical placements and in the future workplace, these soft skills need to be integrated through increased awareness and explicit instruction within clinical education from the start. How might we as clinical educators explicitly teach, model, and monitor the students’ awareness, understanding and application of soft skills throughout their clinical education program? How can we emphasize to our students the importance of soft skills development to positively impact the clinical environment and benefit them personally and professionally? To further integrate soft skills into the MS-SLP program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, clinical supervisors developed a framework entitled POWERS Within Yourself to Become an Exceptional Clinician. POWERS in is an acronym for be Professional, Observant and listening, Willing to be flexible, Ever learning and reflective, Resilient and passionate, and Socially responsible and committed to cultural humility.

The POWERS framework engages students in individual, partner, and small group activities focused on knowledge building, application, and analysis of soft skills. Soft skills instruction was integrated into the clinical education program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison using a variety of tools as part of the POWERS framework. Structured activities (e.g., exploring one’s own culture, developing a personal soft skills goal, and creating a vision board) were used to build knowledge of the importance of soft skills for clinical work. Role-play, or having students act out a variety of clinical scenarios, is recognized as an effective tool in health care education. Role-playing is used as a vehicle within the POWERS framework to facilitate application of specific soft skills within the clinical process. Another tool incorporated within the POWERS framework is reflective practice, which is an established component of clinical education programs. Fish and de Cossart’s model of reflection (2007) includes personal qualities and professional values, as well as clinical knowledge and technical skills. Guided reflective practice within the POWERS framework supports students in identifying and analyzing specific soft skills in tandem with technical skills through targeted reflection questions.
Session participants will leave with multiple activity ideas and rationale for explicitly integrating soft skills early into clinical education and supervision.

References/Citations
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (2020). 2020 Certification standards in speech-language pathology. http://asha.org/certification/2020-slp-certification-standards/. Accessed on 4/05/2012.

Doleve, N., Naamatic-Schneider, L., & Meirovich, A. (2021). Making soft skills a part of the curriculum of healthcare studies. In M.S., Firstenberg and S.P. Stawicki (Eds.), Medical education for the 21st century.doi: 10.5772/intechopen. Accessed 04/05/2022.

Fish, D. & de Cossart, L. (2007). Developing the wise doctor: A resource for trainers and trainees in MMC. London, UK: Royal Society of medicine Press LTD.

Promis, P. (2007). Are employers asking for the right competencies? A case for emotional intelligence. Library Administration & Management, 22, 24-30.

Tulgan, B. (2015). Bridging the soft skills gap: How to teach the missing basics to today's young talent. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons Inc.

Mann, C.R. (1918). A study of engeineering education. Bulletin 11, Boston, MA: D.B. Updike-The Merrymount Press.

Learning Objectives:

At the completion of this activity, participants should be able to:

• List soft skills that student clinicians need to succeed in clinical experiences and in their future employment.
• Recognize how guided reflective practice activities can be used to specifically promote development of soft skills in student clinicians.
• Develop an initial action plan for integration of soft skills across clinical education settings.