Did you know that allied health assistants are in nearly every department in allied health?

They work with inpatients and outpatients to reduce the workload demand on our allied health professionals. So, let’s get to know the team!

Hi Marcus, Ellie and Georgia!

Can you tell us a bit about what you do every day?

All: We work as Allied Health Assistants in the physiotherapy department alongside a team of physiotherapists. We see patients across oncology, respiratory, orthopaedics, critical care and burns physiotherapy and lead exercise sessions, assist with patient mobility, patient transfers and airway clearance techniques. Our days are split into ‘pool’ days and ‘land’ days which we will talk a bit about.

Marcus: Together with the entire physiotherapy team, we meet each morning to determine who needs to be treated each day and then we allocate the workload to ensure all patients are seen by either a physiotherapist, an allied health assistant or both. No two days are exactly the same and I need to have a flexible approach to meet the ever-changing needs of the hospital workload. On my pool days I safety spot (RCH lifeguard), help families check in and learn about the pool, as well as helping physiotherapists with outpatient NDIS therapy blocks. For oncology patients, I facilitate the therapeutic exercise programs prescribed by the physiotherapist, often multiple times a week, to promote improved physical conditioning, especially for those requiring a longer stay.

Ellie: On our allocated pool days, we act as RCH lifeguards and assist with the scheduled hydrotherapy sessions for inpatients and outpatients. We also sometimes act as an extra pair of hands in the pool, assisting the physiotherapists with their aquatic therapy sessions and have our own patients for hydrotherapy sessions, which always adds a bit of variety to the day.

Georgia: My ‘land’ days at the RCH are usually very flexible to keep up with the different demands of the physiotherapy department and wider hospital on any given day. This means I get to see many different types of patients on the wards. Here, I might complete airway clearance with them, complete an exercise program with them, or bring up the Wii console for a fun session.

What do you love most about your role? 

Marcus: There is so much that I love about my role. I enjoy the complexity and diversity of physiotherapy specialities with which I work. A challenge I enjoy is learning and thinking of innovative ways to make therapy fun and engaging. Seeing patients regularly, I often develop meaningful relationships with the children and families during their stay. I aspire to have an impact on children and families that is based on kindness, compassion and dedication. If I can make one child happy, I have fulfilled my purpose. I value the collaborative multidisciplinary approach to providing the best comprehensive care possible for every child.

Ellie: It is hard to pick one particular aspect of my role which I love, as every single day brings something new, and I always walk out with a smile on my face. However, if I was to pick one thing which never fails to make my day, it would be when we get to bring the Wii to exercise sessions with patients and play Wii Sports with them. It definitely brings out the competitive side of the children and although most of the time I end up losing, it is so great to see them have fun, laugh and forget about the comings and goings of the hospital for a while.

Georgia: It’s challenging to pick one thing as it’s such an enjoyable and rewarding job! One of my favourite parts is seeing the progress that patients make throughout their aquatic therapy blocks, as they get more comfortable in the water environment and stronger from the exercises that they’re completing!