Maariyah Nazir
Who am I? Maariyah Nazir
What do I do? Physiotherapist working in the NHS
What did I study at 6th Form/college? A-levels in Biology, Maths and Psychology
What did I study at University? Physiotherapy (Bachelor of Science) at the University of Huddersfield
Pronouns? She/Her
From a young age I have always had an interest in how the human body works and how people recover when they have had an injury. During 6th form I worked as a care assistant for children services which further consolidated that I wanted to work in Healthcare. I have always been interested in helping others and promoting positive lifestyle choices.
Whilst I was studying I developed a greater understanding of all the different areas of healthcare Physiotherapists work in, with the main three branches known as: Musculoskeletal (MSK), Respiratory and Neurology. As a physio you could be working with patients who need rehabilitation for their muscle injuries, fractures (in MSK), breathing and heart problems (in Respiratory) and Strokes or brain related injuries (Neurology). A rewarding aspect of being a student was during placement the involvement in treatment and management of patients, in which you then apply the skills and knowledge you have learnt at university into practice.
Whilst I was on my last student placement I was successful in a job application for a Rotational Physiotherapist post which would involve rotating Physiotherapy departments every 6 months. This is quite common for people who want to gain experience from all 3 categories I mentioned above. I started by working in a MSK Gym setting which was focused in seeing patients with conditions related to their hips, knees and ankle or feet. This confirmed my passion in MSK; hence I started looking for a permanent job as a MSK Physiotherapist rather than rotating to each department.
This brings me to my current job which I have completed my first year in. It involves working in an outpatients department treating patients with conditions or injures affecting their muscles, joints, ligaments, tendons and nerves. For example this can be following a sports injury, fall, after a fracture, joint replacement or nerve related injury.
Each day can be very different as you are seeing a variety of patient conditions, so you are constantly developing and learning new skills
A day in my job consists of assessing new patients which involves getting background information to what has happened with them and also completing a physical assessment to then determine what advice and treatment to give for example; exercise programmes, provide leaflets, modify their activities etc.
I also have to see them a few weeks later to review their symptoms and progress their exercises. All of this is normally done face to face, however more recently we have been doing these appointments via video or over the telephone which has been more challenging.
Furthermore we have regular training days on specific conditions, treatment tips and tricks that help us develop into better practitioners.
Being a Physiotherapist is a very rewarding job, as you are helping patients improve their quality of life and help stop their pain. As part of the job you communicate with so many other healthcare professionals and get to meet so many different people from variety of backgrounds.