Meet our staff

A Day in the Life

I am Brooke, I have proudly been calling the Mt Wilga Neurological Physiotherapy gym my work home since February 2007. My introduction to the hospital started a few years prior when I was fortunate enough to have a student placement in the Physio team. After completing my degree, and spending a new graduate year at RNSH, I was more than delighted to find myself back, and as part of the Neuro Physio team at Mt Wilga.

What is it that brings me so happily to work each day? Aside from the great facilities, and the amazing team I work with, it is ultimately the patients. Every day and every week bring such a range of different patients through the doors, some arrive having recently experienced a significantly life changing neurological event, and others having been living with their condition for years and need a helping hand to improve their function. Each patient has a different life story that they arrive with, they are individuals with individual needs and goals.

What is my role and day to day life like in the Neurological Physiotherapy gym?  My primary role is as a clinician, and as I alluded to before, each patient and each day can be so different. Due to the large variety of neurological conditions that we see at Mt Wilga, as well as the wide age range of patients we see, the nature of the work changes constantly! A newly arrived stroke patient may be in a position where they are unable to sit unsupported on the edge of a therapy plinth, so our session will be spent retraining their midline sitting posture, and progress them towards being able to reach forward, which is an essential component prior to standing up. The next patient of the day may be a younger day patient with a traumatic brain injury who can walk safely and independently but is working towards their goal of being able to run around and play soccer with their kids. Their session includes practicing how to jump on the spot, before progressing towards bounding forward, both essential components of running. After this energetic session, the next patient may be an older gentleman who has been having falls due to peripheral neuropathy. His session is focused on functional mobility, strengthening and balance exercises, aimed at improving his safety when mobilising so he can return to living at home. My role as a physiotherapist with neurological patients not only involves determining what exercises will best achieve the results needed, it is also a role of being the coach and motivator for patients. Recovery from neurological events can be a long and challenging path for patients, where progress towards goals can take weeks and months.

My secondary role in the hospital is as the patient manual handling coordinator, I have a team that I work with to help ensure the manual handling safety of patients and staff. This is done through ensuring correct techniques are used, and appropriate equipment is available.

For this stage of my life, I am at work in a part time capacity as outside of work, I am kept busy with two young boys. I live locally, and I enjoy being an active member of my son’s school. My interests also include gardening, yoga and staying fit with gym classes.