10 Least Stressful Jobs of 2011 - 6: Speech Pathologist

After years in the profession, I'm glad I'm out. The stress has only increased with the demand for more redundant paperwork. In healthcare, 75-85% productivity quotas are unrealistic, & caseload numbers in the schools are also unrealistic. The field became nowhere as rewarding as it was, & certainly not what I envisioned when I earned my masters. It's practically impossible to keep up, stay ethical, & remain sane.

There is NEVER enough time to do the excessive paperwork, huge waiting lists and people demanding that you attend meetings every time you turn around...How can that be stress free? There are no "substituates" or "casuals' if you are sick or away and the work only piles up, with little in the way of support to help you do the work you should be doing....TRUST ME, the job can gbe very rewarding, but it's extremely demanding and stressful!! Just look at how many burn out and leave the profession...

Being a SLP is one of the hardest jobs! There is never a night that I do not bring my job home with me. We are responsible for the lives of patients in both hospital and SNF settings. Doctors refer to us to make life altering decisions regarding feeding, swallowing, and more. We deal with families that are upset, in denial, and angry that their loved ones are going through horrible and frustrating times. In the school setting, there is more paperwork that has to be done, lengthy reports that have to be written and presented, and meetings that need to be held!!!! Come work one day with me, in a severely handicapped classroom with children who have trachs and multiple disabilities and tell me that I have that is a "walk in the park!" I work more hours and make less money than most people out there! This is discouraging!

As an SLP working in a SNF setting, I can tell you honestly that holding someone's life in your hands is about as stressful as it gets. We make a simple mistake, recommend the wrong diet, and its a potentially slow and agonizing death by pneumonia. Sometimes we counsel family members about their spouses end of life and what removing a feeding tube could mean for their future. As for school SLPS, having to juggle 80 kids between 3-4 buildings meeting with anxious parents, and worse, parents who dont care or show up, is the definition of stressful.
None of this means that our job is not rewarding. To work with a pt. for months and slowly see them progress to the point where they can safely return home makes all of the stress worth it.

I am in shock. Physicians, nurses, patients and their families place their lives in our hands. Does this journalist understand that it is the Speech Pathologist that has to make the decision regarding tube feeding, diet/ texture changes, and life altering/ quality of life decisions. If we make the wrong decision or don't do our job correctly, they can aspirate, get pneumonia, possible have airway blockage and could even DIE! Those type of choices are in our hands. This article is a joke. Anyone who works in healthcare or education knows that this is not the type of job that you can leave at the office. You're always thinking about how you can better your patients lives. I want to challenge that journalist to go into a patients room that has just suffered a severe stroke is 35 years old and have her tell her, her spouse and her family that she can't have dinner with the family because a tube will be giving her the nourishment she needs. Have her tell a 22 year old Military Vet that has just come back from IRAQ that he may never be able to carry on a normal job or even drive again because if his injuries. I could go on but I won't!!!!

I posted 2 comments, but don't see them posted, yet.
What happened?

I am a school-based SLP. Due to the laws that govern our practice in public schools, one tine typographical error could land you in the unemployment line with a revoked lisence and certification (which you must have in order to practice). You have to balance a large caseload of therapy, interventions, assessments, ARD meetings with parents, and all of the paperwork that goes along with it. And throw in some training and CEUs in your "spare time". This article is bogus!

As an SLP I am stressed every day with the responsibility of successfully developing speech and language skills in children with developmental delays- and parents who have put all their faith in you. I can think of no greater stress.

The education alone involved in acquiring this professional designation is stressful. This compilation of stress-free occupations is extremely flawed and inaccurate.

This compilation must be a joke...audiologist, speech-language pathologist and occupational therapist (just to name a few) described as stress-free occupations? The schooling alone involved in acquiring these professional designations is stressful.