How long have you been working with the Public Service?
I have been working with the
Public Service for the past ten years, initially on a rotation basis after
which I chose the surgical area at MDH as my permanent placement.
Are there any specific qualifications required for your
post?
A bachelor’s degree in
Physiotherapy is the qualification required to work as a Physiotherapist.
Registration with the Council for Professions Complementary to Medicine is also
required.
What attracted you to take up your profession and to the
health service?
As Physiotherapists we enable
patients to achieve optimal function and empower people to lead a healthier
life through movement and education. This together with the contribution to
quality care and service attracted me to take up the profession.
What motivates you most?
Several factors motivate me in my
profession, especially my contribution to the functional improvement and
general well being that is achieved by the patients, during their in-patient
stay in preparation to their return to the community.
What about the teamwork between different
professions/roles involved in relation to patient care?
I work in a multidisciplinary
team in which the contribution of all team members through their respective
areas of expertise helps the patients in getting the best service.
Can you give us one challenge and one success story?
One challenge is keeping patients
motivated in engaging actively in their physiotherapy treatment. One success
story was the functional improvement achieved by an obese patient who had
undergone a major lower limb amputation. Despite the physical challenges and
difficulties in mobility post-operatively, our input helped the patient to
start mobilizing again, achieving a functional level of movement which enabled
her to continue further rehabilitation.
What advice would you give to young students considering
taking up this profession?
As a profession, Physiotherapy offers different scenarios where one can develop
and work in. It requires the skills and patience of working with different
individuals in varying situations across the lifespan ranging from the acute
setting, rehabilitation, long-term and community care to work settings, school
settings and sports.
What are the benefits of working with the public service?
The benefits of working within
the public service include the opportunity of working in different clinical
areas thus gaining vast clinical experience and opportunities to develop
professionally and personally through training.