Milestone for physio students at LRH

The first intake of third year Physiotherapy students from Federation University Australia’s Gippsland Campus have begun their placement with Latrobe Regional Health.

The four students are working with staff from LRH’s physiotherapy team to get practical experience in a range of settings.

“It’s wonderful to see these students come through as they are the future as far as we’re concerned and will hopefully one day join the team either here at LRH or at any one of the local public hospitals in Gippsland,” Amanda Alton, LRH Physiotherapy Manager said.

The students’ five-week placement will see them completing physiotherapy assessments and interventions under supervision, to support the recovery and safe discharge of patients.

“Practical placements are an important part of the learning process for students. Up to this point their learning has been predominantly classroom based, so this is the first time they can get to meet patients and put their learning into practice,” Senior Physiotherapist Danielle Weda said.

Two students will be working in the Nicholson Rehabilitation Unit while another two students will predominantly work within the Tanjil Unit with surgical patients and the clinical team.

The Federation University Bachelor of Physiotherapy commenced in 2021 meaning this cohort of students is the first to transition to a hospital-based placement.

“For Federation, this is a significant milestone as the University works to help address regional skills shortages through our co-operative education model, where we work with industry to design and deliver programs that provide students with real-world experience,” Professor Louisa Remedios, Physiotherapy Lead at Federation University said.

“We are excited to see the first cohort of Physiotherapy students commence their placements at LRH where they can draw on the rich knowledge of our local allied health professionals.”