JCPSLP Vol 15 No 2 2013

bilateral support to the development of health services in Viet Nam. They spent three months in Sydney from July to September 2012 observing clinical practice and participating in a research and leadership development program. It is hoped that more graduates will have the opportunity to undertake postgraduate studies in Australia to build local capacity to lead the speech therapy course at PNTU and the profession in Viet Nam. Below we hear from key people and stakeholders who will shape and support the growth of speech therapy in Viet Nam. Establishing a professional association and continuing professional development Mr Dien Le Khanh (head of Physiotherapy Department and speech therapist, An Binh Hospital, HCMC): We, the first 18 graduates, are starting a new period of our working life with the role of qualified speech therapists. To become highly skilled speech therapists and provide the best quality services to – and advocacy for – people with communication and/or swallowing disorders, we must commit to learn further through continuing professional development (CPD). For us we hope there will be participation in further training courses, conferences and workshops, as well as self-directed activities such as keeping contact with our former lecturers or experienced speech pathologists to ask for consultation or mentoring when necessary, reading, and discussions with peers. To facilitate CPD, the establishment of a professional association is necessary to organise conferences and workshops, discussion forums, case discussions and journal clubs. The association will have other important roles including advocating for the needs of clients with communication and/or swallowing disorders, promoting the profession and influencing government policy-making in public education and social care policies. Professor Nguyen Thi Ngoc Dung (director of the ENT Hospital, HCMC, and new rector of PNTU): On 24 September 2012, PNTU accepted another 16 students into the two-year program while working towards the establishment of a speech therapy Bachelor degree. During the second course, the first graduates will assist with the clinical education program. While waiting for the organisation of the professional association, the graduated and the new students should aim to meet together every three months to discuss patient cases and the challenges in setting up speech therapy services in their work places. We encourage them to consider exchanging knowledge via a website or Facebook. Sue Woodward (director, TFA): A recurring theme from the return-to-Australia debriefs conducted with volunteer clinical educators and lecturers has been the strong work ethic and enthusiasm they have observed in the first cohort of students. All the students expressed their desire to effectively assist their patients with communication and swallowing difficulties. TFA plan to assist these students in the future by providing them with professional development opportunities. We welcome the support of our colleagues in the provision of continuing professional development sessions in Viet Nam. All the partners will continue to collaborate in order to implement the strategic plan which has the ultimate goal of enabling the Vietnamese to independently run courses in the future. Key elements of this capacity building initiative include assisting Vietnamese nationals to obtain post- graduate qualifications, assisting with the implementation

of the first undergraduate program by 2015, supporting further professional development of graduates through their own professional body, and supporting the development of courses in other educational institutions across Viet Nam. Ultimately this will enable TFA to adopt a more indirect role centred around mentoring and professional development in the future. Conclusion In concluding this paper, we hear the perspectives of two graduates of the first course. Both women are emerging leaders of the speech therapy profession in Viet Nam. Dr Huynh Bich Thao (medical doctor and speech therapist, Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Department of Cho Ray Hospital, HCMC): I was a 2-year-graduated medical doctor, working at the physiotherapy and rehabilitation department of Cho Ray Hospital HCMC before starting the speech therapy course. Cho Ray Hospital is a major acute care hospital for adults from the south of Viet Nam. I wanted to study speech therapy for my own interest and because of a lack of services in my workplace. During the course, from the lectures to clinical practice, I gained more knowledge, skills and methods than I expected. I vividly remember the first time seeing a patient with persistent swallowing problems, 6 months after having a stroke. He could walk and communicate normally but could not swallow his own saliva. Previously, I saw inpatients with stroke in the acute phase or outpatients coming to have physiotherapy for mobility. I realised more deeply how quality of life is affected by swallowing or communication difficulties and the role of speech therapy for patients, their families and the community. As it is the first speech therapy course in Viet Nam, establishing speech therapy services within the current medical settings and local contexts and traditional settings is challenging, particularly with regards to how to communicate with doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, patients and family members about speech therapy. Mrs Le Thi Thanh Xuan (speech therapist, Hospital for Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, HCMC): I am an experienced physiotherapist. During the speech therapy training course, we encountered many difficulties and barriers of language, new terminology about speech therapy and different learning styles. In our clinical education terms, we were limited to practising at our own hospitals and did not easily see how to implement practice in other settings. Moreover, there were no Vietnamese speech therapists to instruct students and share their experiences, knowledge and skills. In terms of paediatric speech therapy, there are few resources for Vietnamese children’s language and speech development. In addition, Vietnamese data on methods and interventions for speech, communication and feeding are very modest. Though we met many difficulties and barriers, we made great efforts to learn and to finish graduation projects with invaluable support from Australian lecturers and supervisors. We achieved broad-ranging knowledge of speech therapy and every graduate has specific experience to carry out the speech pathology mission at their hospital of employment. Establishing speech therapy services is a big challenge. But with knowledge, clinical and communication skills I have learnt and experienced, I strongly believe that I can set up an official speech therapy unit at my hospital for treatment of patients and for clinical education for speech pathology students at PNTU.

78

JCPSLP Volume 15, Number 2 2013

Journal of Clinical Practice in Speech-Language Pathology