Megan Edwards

Name: Megan Edwards
Studying: BSc Speech and Language Therapy
University: Cardiff Metropolitan University
Internship with: Placement Quality, Capacity and Improvement Team

My overall experience

Hi, I’m Megan and I’m a second-year Speech and Language Therapy student at Cardiff Metropolitan University. I have previously completed a degree in French and German and worked in schools, local councils and training providers, but found my passion for SLT and am excited to qualify and join NHS Wales in the coming years. I was inspired to apply for the internship to learn more about HEIW, develop my own leadership skills and contribute to an impactful project for students like me.

My time at HEIW has been inspirational and insightful, and I’ve learned so much that I can take forward with me into my studies and beyond. The team have been so supportive, facilitating some amazing interprofessional opportunities and sharing their knowledge and experiences every single day. At HEIW, I discovered what it means to be part of and contribute to a compassionate team – something which I will try to emulate throughout my career.

Project summary

I was very fortunate to be part of the Placement Quality, Capacity and Improvement Team, and feel grateful to have been able to contribute to their introduction of leadership placements for AHP and nursing students.

My project involved creating induction resources for incoming students, which would help them feel prepared and welcomed. Leadership placements for healthcare students are new to the team and was something I hadn’t considered possible, so it was very exciting for me to research, plan and execute great resources. It was key to bring together lots of different elements – practical placement information, what to expect during their time at HEIW and the fundamental values that are echoed across  the organisation, including wellbeing, inclusion and compassionate leadership.

In the beginning

It was important to start my project by building a rationale and evidence base that would guide my suggestions for resources and included content. I spoke with students and practice education facilitators (PEFs), and explored what resources are being given to students on placement, their effectiveness in practice and any strategies to help a new student foster a sense of belonging. It was an invaluable opportunity to speak to them all, and I’m sending a huge thank you for giving up their time to chat to me and share their expertise!

Using their responses and example resources gathered from PEFs and online resources, I was able to design an online resource hub that could be added to continuously through placements. I also proposed a selection of engaging resources on a variety of platforms that students can access in preparation for and during their placement. These included a practical induction handbook, a Sway presentation with embedded videos about compassionate leadership and a visual guide to wellbeing and inclusive spaces at Ty Dysgu.

Next steps

Throughout the internship, I’ve been working away on drafting, designing and reviewing these resources to make sure they are accurate and informative as well as engaging and accessible. I’ve had the most incredible support from my team and from colleagues across HEIW – I cannot thank everyone in the Placements Team enough for reviewing and feeding back on the content.

I would also like to say a massive thank you to everyone who got involved with my video around compassionate leadership – I couldn’t have done any of it without your support!

These resources are being finalised and uploaded to our resource hub, ready for the first cohorts of students to start interacting with! As for me, I will be heading back to university, and can’t wait to use everything I’ve learned in the years to come.

Beyond work and university

I’m very passionate about SLT, and spend time outside of my studies volunteering for Parkinson’s UK and working with CLAPA. I also love spending time with my partner and our three dogs – from going for walks to trying out local food festivals.