Occupational Therapist Emma Shaw shares her experience working in the Allied Health Workforce Innovation, Strategy, Education and Research (WISER) unit alongside her clinical role at Dandenong Hospital.
If you’d like to learn more about a career in Occupational Therapy at Monash Health, take a look at our Allied Health Careers page.
Tell us about your role and what lead you to being an Occupational Therapist at Monash Health?
I am an Occupational Therapist who currently works in two roles at Monash Health, three days a week I am the Student Coordinator for Occupational Therapy within the Allied Health Workforce, Innovation, Strategy, Education and Research (WISER) unit and the other two days I work clinically at Dandenong Hospital where I manage a clinical caseload.
I was fortunate to complete two placements within Monash Health as a student. I loved my time as a student in the Occupational Therapy Department, I felt supported and part of the team immediately.
Once I graduated, I was even luckier to gain a rotational Grade 1 position at Monash Health.
Can you walk us through a typical day at work?
A typical day as the student coordinator includes planning and preparation for student placements, monitoring the progress of current placements with students and clinical educators, completing education and debriefing sessions with students and clinical educators as well as troubleshooting any issues that arise.
My clinical role at Dandenong Hospital includes attending daily handovers and prioritising patients, completing holistic assessments and interventions, and communicating with the multidisciplinary team to facilitate discharge planning, equipment prescriptions and education for patients, carers and staff.
What I love most about both roles is their ever-changing nature and the challenges they provide me daily.
What’s the culture like in your team?
There is a strong desire to work together as a team. Everyone always makes themselves available to support others and be the best clinicians and team we can be.
What do you enjoy most about your work?
I enjoy the mix that both roles provide me. I love patient interaction and the problem-solving discussions that frequently occur within the multidisciplinary team to seek positive patient care and I also enjoy educating future occupational therapists and as the student coordinator, I can do this at a deeper level than I can as a clinician.
My favourite thing about working at Monash Health is that no day is ever the same, I am challenged constantly and I am fortunate to work with so many smart, creative and kind people that I am always learning from.
Why did you choose to pursue a career at Monash Health?
After completing my final placement at Monash Health, I really wanted the opportunity to work in a hospital and Monash Health offered rotational positions which would allow me to learn and develop my skills in a range of clinical areas including acute, orthopaedics, rehabilitation and community care.
As a student, Monash Health provided me with a positive learning setting where all educators strived to be better every day.
Additionally, being that Monash Health is so large, I knew it would provide multiple career opportunities in a range of areas, which has absolutely been the case.
Can you share a particularly memorable experience or patient interaction from your career that has stayed with you over time?
One of my fondest memories was supporting a patient to return home with her family after an incredibly long hospital admission.
As a result of her diagnosis, she required around-the-clock care and multiple modifications to her home.
With problem-solving, hard work, time and flexibility, the team and I were able to enable her to return to her own home.
Seeing how happy and grateful this patient and family were as a result, is a lovely memory I have and drives me to continue to lead a patient-centred approach to support patients’ goals that are meaningful to them.
What advice would you give to someone who is interested in pursuing a career in Occupational Therapy?
Do it! Occupational Therapy is a fantastic career. You work with the best people and contribute to some incredible outcomes.
I suggest talking to an Occupational Therapist and asking them what the study is like and the multiple career opportunities it provides. You will find no one’s career path has been the same and all Occupational Therapists have had some very interesting experiences.
Finally, what do you hope to achieve in your career, and what kind of impact do you hope to have on your patients and the wider healthcare community?
I hope to continue to enjoy my career as much as I do now for the next 50 years. I am looking forward to the many opportunities my career will take me as well as all the learning I am yet to do.
The impact I wish to have on my patients, co-workers and greater community is to always act with kindness.
Interested in joining Monash Health’s Allied Health team? Take a look at our Allied Health Careers page to browse our latest vacancies and find out more about working at Victoria’s largest health service.
