NEWLY QUALIFIED PRACTITIONERS FEATURE
However , as soon as I started on the rotation I had no other option than to hit the ground running and fully immerse myself . It has been fantastic opportunity to consolidate all the knowledge and skills that learned while I was at university .
As hospital ‘ rules ’ are currently ever changing , and the multidisciplinary team is always adapting to meet changing government guidance , I knew that being a new member of staff was not actually the most important thing , and that all staff members are in the same boat regarding change .
We were all learning together and this helped me to form good relationships with my team . In fact , starting my job in such a time of uncertainty , and having to constantly adapt , is all I know , and this has become my ‘ normal ’ for the work environment .
I do feel that starting a job ‘ in at the deep end ’ is not necessarily a bad thing , and I faced all my fears immediately . This helped me to grow in confidence quickly and I am hoping that , in the future , I can continue to be adaptable in my practice and that it can only get easier from here .
I felt motivated to start my job during this time as it has been a positive time to start working within the NHS with the public ’ s acknowledgement of our value . This really empowered me to want to get started and make a positive impact , during such a daunting time .
I have now been part of a surgery team for six months * and during the pandemic have certainly seen glimmers of hope and comfort . I have seen celebration of the lives saved , the support given from government , and have witnessed the spirit of true teamwork . I feel very lucky to have been welcomed into a fantastic team of occupational therapists , who made me feel instantly settled and continue to offer support when I need it .
I have received regular supervision to reflect on this experience and this has helped me not to feel overwhelmed by the environment . The support from the team and supervision I have been given has been incredible , and because of this I have never once felt out of my depth ; I feel as though I have a stable support network to talk about any worries with .
When working in healthcare , it is vital to be open with other team members and share our experiences . Over the past year , everyone has had to make sacrifices for the sake of each other ’ s safety and health , and at times this has been very difficult . But what I have noticed is the effort to keep team spirit up and to keep morale within the team high , to motivate each other to keep on pushing .
As a trust we have recently been provided with some funding for a team wellbeing day out to help team members bond – this is important , as teams within the NHS rely on each other to cope with the distressing experiences and fatigue that have become a normal part of work life .
While at times social media has made it feel as though there is no escape from this pandemic , it has also provided a positive platform for healthcare workers to share similar experiences the anxieties they are facing , which has helped to normalise my feelings about the pandemic and reduce my sense of isolation .
There have inevitably been many challenges . First , the fear of infection ; there is a constant worry of catching COVID-19 and the affect this will have on family members at home , compounded as we see first-hand the impact it can have on people ’ s lives .
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Being an occupational therapist has never felt more important . It is a very exciting time to work in this area .
Another challenge is that , since started in this job I have only ever seen my colleagues faces from behind a mask . This has an impact on building relationships and getting to know each other . Personal Protective Equipment ( PPE ) is difficult as it acts as a barrier between patients and therapists and can have a huge impact on our practice , if because of it patients are less likely to engage in an intervention . Occupational therapy is such a personfocused profession and a huge part is understanding who people are and how they live their lives . This person-focused element is a huge reason why I wanted to join the profession , yet behind layers of PPE I do feel this is much harder to achieve .
Going forward , hopefully the pressures of the hospital will begin to ease , and I hope that other newly-qualified practitioners will not fear starting a new job . From what I have witnessed so far , I believe it is really important to remember why you started your training and focus on what inspired you to become an occupational therapist – that is how I am approaching it .
Since a child I have always known that I wanted a job in healthcare ; a rewarding job , to help people live their lives to the fullest and reach their ultimate potential . What I love about occupational therapy is that the main aim is to regain purpose and meaning in a person ’ s life .
What better time to practise that than right now . Being an occupational therapist has never felt more important . It is a very exciting time to work in this area .
Olivia Birks , band five occupational therapist , Royal Derby Hospital . Note : * This article was written in September 2021
OTnews December 2021 39