Physiotherapy and mental health placement

Students undertaking a physiotherapy degree are required to go on a series placements throughout their time studying with us. Placements can be in a range of settings in order to give students experiences of working with a diverse range of clients.

Graduate physiotherapist Alice George reflects on her placement in a mental health setting, and how she has translated those experiences into her work after graduation.

Before the placement

Before starting my placement in mental health I was worried that I did not know enough about mental health to be on a placement in that environment. I was unaware as to how physiotherapy came into a mental health environment and although the information supplied by the placement provider was very informative I was still unsure what to expect from a physiotherapy point of view and an environment point of view which made me anxious.

I also thought that this placement was very specific and therefore wondered how transferable the skills I would learn would be. 

During the placement

During the placement I saw a number of different patients with a wide range of mental health conditions ranging from ones I had heard of, to conditions I had little to no knowledge of.

One of the most interesting things I saw was the effect that mental health has on physical health and how many patients were bed bound due to mental health.

Having to use differing communication styles with each patient to be able to help get them mobile again was one of my favourite parts of the placement as I had to challenge my communication skills in ways I would not be able to do on a ward based placement. I saw the importance of clear and concise communication especially when it comes to goal setting and session plans.

I found that communicating with the patients when setting goals was essential to get them to trust the therapist and therefore partake in therapy session and find out what was important to them. With these patients more than ever it was so important to find out what was important to them in there physical recovery and communicating with them how we were going to achieve that.

I also enjoyed the problem-solving aspect of the placement and that not one patient was similar again meaning that communication and finding out what was important to that patient was essential. These skills helped me when I went onto my CCU placement as again treatment plans had to be very specific to the patients needs and wants.

Another thing that stuck out was that due to the nature of mental health conditions every patient was different day to day which meant that I had to be flexible which is something I previously had struggled with. This helped me with ward organisation and planning including other members of staff which has benefitted me on other placements and now work.

Mobility and falls risks was the most common aspect of physiotherapy that I was involved in however I also saw neurological patients such as Parkinson’s and some respiratory patients whilst on the placement which made the placement very variable.

What I took away from the placement

Mainly, I learnt that communication is key and that different things motivate patients differently and that you need to understand all aspects of the patient to be able to get the best out of them.

I had to work more holistically and understand that certain sessions would involve no mobility practice but might be goal setting with the patient and understand that that is okay as it is important to the patient at that time. This is something that was highlighted in this placement due to the nature of mental health, however is something that I will take forward into all aspects of my Band 5 role and further into my career.

It also made me think that a lot of my patients will have some sort of other concerns or issues other than their physical concerns and these may change my approach to treatment.

The patients that I saw on this placement had such an impact on my practice and having been on placement since I feel that it has changed me as a practitioner. It has made me more conscious about peoples mental health whether that be a diagnosed condition or a patients current mental state whilst they are in hospital.

Things to remember

If you are given a mental health placement remember that although you may not end up in that field of work or on a mental health rotation you will learn skills that you will take with you throughout your career.

These patients have needs just like a patient you would see in an inpatient hospital so remember to treat them like that- engage them in goal setting and session plans etc.

Whilst on the placement look out for things that you might be able to take forward with you, for example how to communicate with patients who have difficulty communicating, you will see this on many different specialities such as frailty and stroke.

Enjoy it and don’t be afraid to ask questions.