JCPSLP Vol 17 No 2 2015_web

Table 2. Change in students’ reported knowledge, confidence, and attitudes post placement (n = 52)

Pre-placement

Post-placement

Wilcoxon Signed Rank test (z, p)

Knowledge and confidence composite scores

Median¹ (Range)

Median¹ (Range)

Knowledge about communication changes and disorders

5 (4–7)²

4 (2–6)²

-5.218, < .001*

Knowledge about swallowing changes and disorders

6 (2–8)²

3 (2–7)²

-5.113, < .001*

Confidence in managing communication changes and disorders

10 (4–15)³

6 (4–10)³

-6.011, < .001*

4 (3–9) 4

-5.589, < .001*

Confidence in managing swallowing changes and disorders

8 (3–12) 4

Mean 5 ±SD

Mean ±SD

Attitudes score

UCLA Geriatric Attitude Scale score

3.83 ±0.42

3.93 ±0.40

-1.919, .05

¹ A lower median reflects greater knowledge and confidence, ² Range: 2–8, ³Range: 4–16, 4 Range: 3–12, 5 A higher mean reflects a more positive attitude * Statistically significant change

Table 3. Reported knowledge and confidence following a placement solely in an acute setting or partly or exclusively in a residential setting

Placement in an acute setting only (n = 19)

Placement partly or exclusively in a residential setting (n = 25)

Pre Mean 1 ± SD

Post Mean 1 ± SD

Pre Mean 1 ± SD

Post Mean 1 ± SD

Knowledge about:

Communication changes and disorders

2.32 (.47)

1.80 (.57)

2.58 (.50)

1.68 (.67)

Communication changes secondary to dementia

2.64 (.56)

2.04 (.61)

2.58 (.60)

1.63 (.59)

Dysphagia

2.40 (.64)

1.60 (.57)

2.68 (.82)

1.58 (.50)

Swallowing changes secondary to dementia

2.84 (.62)

1.80 (.76)

2.79 (.71)

1.58 (.50)

Confidence in assessment and management of:

Motor speech disorders

2.32 (.55)

1.68 (.55)

2.63 (.76)

1.32 (.47)

Aphasia

2.32 (.69)

1.56 (.50)

2.58 (.83)

1.37 (.49)

Cognitive-communication disorders

2.60 (.81)

1.84 (.55)

2.79 (.63)

1.63 (.59)

Dysphagia in medically well and medically complex adults

2.52 (.87)

1.36 (.56)

2.79 (.63)

1.58 (.69)

Swallowing changes secondary to dementia

2.88 (.92)

1.72 (.67)

3.00 (.57)

1.53 (.69)

¹ A lower mean reflects greater knowledge and confidence

6.4; 6.2). Despite the increased preference for working with people with dementia, this client population remained within the three least preferred options, as did working with people on a palliative pathway. Influence of placement setting A split-plot model ANOVA yielded a main effect for time (pre- or post-placement) for knowledge of age-related communication changes or disorders, F (1,42)=32.38, p <0.001, and communication changes secondary to dementia, F (1,42)=43.52, p <0.001. However, no interaction effect between time and knowledge of communication changes in either group [ F (1,42)=2.27, p =0.14; F (1,42)=2.19, p =0.15 respectively] was found. Similarly, a main effect for time was found for both dysphagia, F (1,42)=43.55, p<0.001, and swallowing changes related

to dementia, F (1,42)=63.58, p <0.001 with no interaction effect between time and knowledge of swallowing changes in either population [dysphagia: F (1,42)=1.12, swallowing changes in dementia: p =0.30; F (1,42)=0.37 p =0.55]. Therefore, knowledge in all areas improved irrespective of placement type. A placement partly or exclusively completed in a residential setting compared to an acute setting, resulted in mean scores (see Table 3) indicating greater knowledge of communication changes secondary to dementia but these findings were not significantly different. A main effect for time was identified in participants’ confidence in undertaking the assessment and management of a communication in disorders (see Table 3) such as; motor speech, F (1,42)=62.24, p <0.001; aphasia, F (1,42)=59.24, p <0.001, and cognitive-communication

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JCPSLP Volume 17, Number 2 2015

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