Initial Entry

Expectations...

As this is my first placement I expect that it will be a very valuable experience and a giant learning curve on my path to becoming a physio. I'm expecting that the knowledge gained from this experience will assist me in my future placements and studies. I am expecting to learn how a paediatric private practice is managed and how the allied health professionals interact within the practice to assist and complement one another. At the end of the placement I am hoping to have grown in my understanding of paeds physio and feel more confident in interacting with children of different ages and how to conduct assessments and treatments. I am also expecting to learn about how to treat the family and their goals as well as incorporating my aims/goals of treatment for the child and the childs goals. I'm also expecting to learn alot about communication, with the child, parent/s and fellow co workers. It will be a very exciting/nervous experience that will give us great exposure to being out in the real world!!

Things I am looking forward to...

I am looking forward to getting more paeds exposure, as I absolutely loved the unit this semester. I am looking forward to bringing the knowledge I have to the table and being able to apply it to real patients with real problems. I can't wait to soak up information from my supervisor and learn their different ways of approaching patients and different situations. I guess it is also exciting being out their and being able to help children and their families cope with different disorders or impairments. I am looking forward to also being able to interact with 'real' children and see how they respond to different communication and interaction methods I have learnt. It would also be interesting to hear and see how my supervisor interacts with children, so I can pick up valuable tips to improving my professionalism and effectiveness as physio.

Concerns...

I am not too concerned at the moment with where I am going in terms of unfamiliarity because I have already worked in the practice through 4p, observing the physio and participating in a voluntary occupational therapy program for children. My only concern would most likely be how much my supervisor is expecting me to do. As 'Kids are Kids' is a private practice, I will obviously be concerned if I get thrown in the deep end and have to assess a new patient, with the parent/carer also being worried that their child may not be assessed approriately and them spending money on a student treating and assessing. I guess I am a little concerned with how it will all work out on placement and what is expected of me. I am hoping to address these concerns through discussing expectations with my supervisor.

Interrelationship of HCP's...

I see the physio, ot and speech pathologist talking to each other and helping each other out, if one of their patients needs treatment via another allied health professional. I see a professional relationship between each and every one of them and all of them showing respect of confidentiality unless they are working as multi discliplinary team, combination treatment. I have never been in the practice long enough to see just how they all interact, and if they even do at all. It will be interesting to see what happens when I start!!