Lydia Brown

5.30 AM

I have the alarm set for 5:30 am. Living less than a kilometre away from John Flynn Hospital, I have a full two hours to kill before starting work. I check the weather and the surf forecast and make my way down to the beach where I meet my little surf crew made up of fellow new graduate physiotherapists that I studied with over the past 5 years. We usually sit in the line-up laughing and sharing the noteworthy experiences of the previous week – and occasionally catch a wave. Once we’ve grabbed a coffee from our local café, we part ways to head to work. Sunrise, surf, coffee and friends – an unbeatable way to start a working day, I think.

7.15 AM

I arrive at work. My current rotation is in Rehabilitation, so I head to the physiotherapy gym on level 2 where the other physiotherapists and Allied Health Assistants (AHA’s) are preparing for the day. After our initial greetings, it’s time to get to business. From 7:30-8:00 the Physiotherapy team huddles, distributing new patients evenly amongst members, delegating patients with more simple therapy to the AHA’s, giving verbal handovers and raising any important topics that will influence how the Rehab timetable will be run. I also use this time to do chart reviews and get a handover from the nurse in charge regarding the overnight status of my patients.  This half-an-hour goes too quickly but is so important for the smooth-running of the day.

8.00 AM - 10.00 AM

Patient therapy begins. On a steady day like today, I have between 8-10 patients to see twice for 40 minutes. Recently I have been receiving a few more dense stroke patients and neurological conditions that require one-on-one attention, meaning I have utilised the AHA’s help a lot. In the morning session, I have timetabled to see a new patient, as well as progress the gait retraining practice for two of my stroke survivor patients. After a few weeks since their admission, I am starting to see the positive effects of therapy on their walking and it is so rewarding.

10.00 AM - 10.30 AM

Morning-tea time. The allied health team congregate in one of the conference rooms to catch up with each other. As the most inexperienced in the room, it is also a good opportunity to informally chat through a few things I may have been challenged by in the previous session to gain a more senior perspective and advice.

10.30 AM - 12.20 PM

I continue on with therapy until given the nod by another physio to head into case conference. This is essentially just a big meeting with all allied health, the rehab consultants and nurses to discuss our patients on a case-by-case basis. When I started in Rehab, I would have described myself as being quite reserved with my input. However, I’ve since relaxed into the dynamic of these meetings and seen that even as a new graduate, my clinical opinion is respected when making decisions regarding the patient.

12.20 PM - 12.50 PM

The physios gather in the cafeteria for some more laughs and lunch comparisons before heading into the last session of therapy. I really do value this time as a team to break up the day mentally and physically.

12.50 PM - 4.00 PM

The last few patients of the day are seen and the non-clinical work begins. This typically involves statistics, writing progress-notes, responding to emails, liaising other multi-disciplinary team members, and changing the patient timetable for the next day. It is typical to receive a call from the senior rehab physio during this time to check in and see if I need any help finishing my work. This supportive team-culture is something I love about my workplace and ensures the team all leaves on time.

4.00+ PM

The team waits for each other to finish the days’ work before walking back to the carpark together. We have the John Flynn Trivia night tonight, where the Physio team are dressing up as Australian Icons. I was told our team is renowned for their commitment to themed costumes…they were right. We win best dressed and spend the night laughing at our profound lack of general knowledge.