Insights From A Physiotherapist: An Interview With Liam Jones
22 Feb, 20241-2 minutes
Interested in pursuing a career as a Physiotherapist? In our new feature blog, we caught up with our very own Senior Consultant, Liam Jones, who worked in physiotherapy for four years before joining the wonderful world of recruitment!
Liam originally began his career as a Physiotherapist before getting the opportunity to become a Paediatric Physiotherapist.
Throughout this interview, you’ll discover what inspired Liam to become a Physiotherapist and what a typical day looked like for him.
Tell us about your previous role as a Physiotherapist
I trained as a Physiotherapist at Manchester Metropolitan University. Whilst studying, I completed placements in MSK, neuro, cardio, elderly mental health and completed an elective placement in Paediatrics.
After qualifying I was offered my first role as a rotational Physiotherapist in North Wales. Whilst on my rotations, I worked in MSK, ICU, medical wards, acute stroke and paediatrics. I stayed in my rotational position for a couple of years before getting the opportunity to come back home to Blackpool as a Paediatric Physiotherapist.
What inspired you to become a Physiotherapist?
I originally wanted to be a doctor and started to study human physiology which was going to be a stepping stone for me to get into medicine. Whilst studying, I realised what I really wanted was a career in which I could spend more time with my patients, building great relationships and seeing them make progress along the way. I decided that Physiotherapy was 100% more suited to what I was looking for in a career.
What did a typical day in your role as a Physiotherapist look like for you?
When on my rotations, each day would be different depending on the rotation I was on at the time. Sometimes my day would start with doing suction and chest physio on an intubated patient on ICU, other times it would start with me assessing a patient who had suffered from a stroke a few hours prior.
On other occasions, I would be teaching a stroke patient how to stand and walk. My favourite days started by doing hydrotherapy in a special school with children with varying disabilities.
What specific areas of physiotherapy did you find particularly rewarding?
The most rewarding areas for me were working on the acute stroke ward and working in paediatrics. On the stroke ward, patients would come in potentially having lost complete function in half of their body. I would treat them for up to an hour every single day for around 6 weeks and then a lot of them would walk out of the ward once discharged.
When working in paediatrics, you can teach the children to do things they have never done before. Imagine the feeling of watching a child walk for the first time and knowing you had a real impact on them being able to achieve that.
Even when treating children who may never be able to walk, being able to reduce their pain, improve their function and just make an impact on their life is one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done.
What challenges did you commonly face in your role, and how did you overcome them?
As with any job in the NHS, the main challenge would be having too much to do and not enough time to do it. Prioritising my work was such an important part of the job to make sure that everybody got the treatment they needed and the more urgent patients were seen in a timely manner.
What advice would you give to someone considering a career in physiotherapy?
I would recommend trying to get some work experience in a hospital with a physio department before you train. So many people get started in physio expecting to work in sports and not really knowing what a massive scope physiotherapy actually covers.
How did you maintain a work-life balance in a demanding profession like physiotherapy?
I had to remind myself and other colleagues that you can only do what you can do. There was of course massive pressure to be able to do absolutely everything every day, however sometimes you would have to prioritise and give good effective treatment instead of giving everybody less effective but quick treatment.
In your opinion, what qualities are essential for a successful Physiotherapist?
Problem solving is a huge part of physiotherapy. Barely any two patients presented the exact same, so figuring out exactly what was going on and how to best treat that individual sometimes required some really creative thinking.
To be an effective physio you need to be a great communicator and motivator; if your patients aren’t motivated to complete the treatments and rehab, then they aren’t going to make the progress they hope for.
Physiotherapist jobs
If you’re searching for your dream Physiotherapist job, why not take a look at the current vacancies available? Or upload your CV and healthcare recruitment specialist, Natalie Boaler, will be in touch to discuss any relevant or upcoming opportunities.
Recruit Physiotherapists
Struggling to recruit Physiotherapists? We provide Physiotherapists to NHS Trusts and private sector organisations across the UK on a permanent, temporary, or interim basis. We're on the CCS & NHS PIP Workforce Alliance temporary staffing frameworks for RM6277 and RM6161, as well as RM6229 for permanent staff.
If you’re keen to discover more about our Physiotherapy recruitment services, you can contact Natalie Boaler on 01772 954200.
Who is Spencer Clarke Group?
Formed in 2017, we’re an energetic, ambitious and forward thinking recruitment agency based in the heart of the North West. Our vision is to positively impact lives by connecting candidates and clients, enabling opportunities for shared success.
We operate in two sectors:
In eleven specialisms:
Healthcare, Social Care & Nursing
Corporate Functions & Business Support
