"My first job was a glass collector in a busy bar when I was 16. When I was 18 I took a gap year and worked as a care assistant in a care home for people living with dementia".
When I was at school, I remember doing some online questionnaires that told you what careers to look in to. Mine came out with healthcare roles, but the things I really liked fell into the category of Physiotherapy. My Mum is also a Physiotherapist, and although I didn’t want to “follow in her footsteps”, all the traits and values that came within the profession seemed perfect for me. I chose my A-Levels with this in mind, applied to university through UCAS and chose Sheffield Hallam University because I really liked the interview process and the city.
After finishing university I applied for lots of jobs and after working on a short term contract for a while, I was successful in getting a rotational Physiotherapist job at UHDB.
Not really. Although I nearly did Product Design at University!
I’ve faced lots of challenges along the way – a lot that I have challenged myself with (new roles and new skills etc) but the best thing I have done is to ask for help and advice along the way.
My current job is split in half. For half my week I treat patients in Physiotherapy Outpatients. Patients are sent to us from their GP, the emergency department or from the orthopaedic department in the hospital. I teach people to manage their aches and pains, give them exercises to do, support people with their wellbeing and activity goals, and work closely with Occupational Therapists to help get the patient back to work.
The other half of my week I work in a team that supports newly qualified staff coming into their first job – delivering teaching sessions and group work to help them become more confident.
I feel inspired every day by my patients, and my colleagues in my team around me. The goal is always about helping people, and problem solving. When I help someone to feel better or more confident in managing their symptoms, and they say “thank you” it is such a great feeling.
The NHS is one of the largest employers in the world. We are always striving to provide the best possible care for every patient, by using recent research evidence and guidelines to drive this forward. I love being part of such a big organisation, it is like having a massive second family!