Canoblas Kids Health was extremely fortunate to have two wonderful new graduate OT’s, Miki and Chloe, start working at the practice earlier this year. Miki and Chloe were asked a few questions about their transition to full time work as an occupational therapist. Keep reading below to see their answers!
Chloe: How was the transition from university to full time work?
Beginning my full-time OT career at CKH has been a really smooth and easy transition, better than I could have anticipated! Every part of working at CKH has supported me with this process including the induction program, weekly tutorials, positive work environment, ongoing learning opportunities and emphasis on work-life balance. When I come to work each day I feel energised, excited and motivated to help children and their families with achieving their goals!
Miki: What led you to being a paediatric OT and are you enjoying it?
I was fortunate enough to have one paediatric placement during uni. During this placement I ventured out to Broken Hill and completed an outreach program at Menindee Preschool and School of the Air. During this placement I gained an invaluable understanding of the importance of OT in rural and remote communities in facilitating a positive transition to big school for all kids. This experience ignited my passion for working with children, and led to me applying for a job at Canobolas Kids Health.
For me, working with a diverse range of kids, with many different diagnoses, ages and social histories is so rewarding. I am really enjoying getting to know all my clients and their individual personalities and working with them, their families and their wider communities to reach goals and promote their participation and performance in every day activities.
Chloe: What is the workplace culture and being part of a multidisciplinary feel like?
The workplace culture at CKH is amazing and words can’t really describe how fantastic it is! Everyone is super supportive, friendly and caring of one another. There’s always an opportunity for a light hearted chat and a bit of fun every single day! Working within a multidisciplinary team is also super beneficial for improving my own learning experiences and personal growth whilst allowing me to collaborate with other health professionals, in particular physiotherapists, to ensure my clients are receiving more holistic care.
Miki: What does a day in your life look like?
Each day at work is completely different, which I love. From clinic consults, to school and home visits, there is always something interesting happening. Having support to explore how and why each day is different as well as how to adapt as a clinician has been very beneficial. Some days are clinically heavy, seeing many kids with a variety of challenges, compared to more administrative and reporting days, nothing ever gets boring.
I have also been given the opportunity to outreach one day a week to Cowra. This has been a very rewarding experience, getting to meet new clients and collaborating with other knowledgeable and passionate clinicians in the area. Outreach for me is typically a bigger clinical day, but I have found that making time to plan my day, pack resources and complete admin tasks very helpful. The biggest lesson outreach has taught me is the ability to be flexible and adaptable, because you can count on something not going to plan on outreach.
Chloe: What support do you get offered working at CKH?
The management team (Pat, Eden and Rach) offer countless opportunities for support and guidance! Particularly as a new graduate, support opportunities are super important and this is most definitely an area which CKH excels in! The induction process for my first 100 days in the job was super helpful for me to become familiar with my role and requirements. Each week I have supervision with the lead OT to discuss my workload and anything which I am finding challenging. Other supports I get at CKH include weekly team meetings, monthly focus meetings and regular peer learning opportunities
Miki: How have you gone with keeping in touch with friends and family?
I am very blessed to have been born and raised in the Central West, and I was very passionate about coming back to this wonderful community at the completion of university. I have found it very beneficial to have a local support network, whether that be family or friends or a local sporting club. Being able to relax after work and on the weekend, really makes a difference in being able to turn off my clinical brain and rest when I’m not at work.
I have also found it extremely beneficial to keep in contact with friends from uni. Most are in a similar phase of their life and being able to share experiences is invaluable. In addition, I have found that bouncing clinical ideas of friends who are also in an allied health profession is extremely advantageous. Brainstorming and sharing knowledge has helped navigate many of my clinical questions and concerns.
Chloe: Is there a good work life balance working at CKH?
Work-life balance is something that Pat, Eden and Rach place a lot of emphasis on at CKH to ensure that all staff feel motivated and energised in the workplace whilst also having the opportunities to engage in all of their other passions in life. The work hours can be very flexible and accommodate any needs or commitments. I have found I have plenty of time to complete all my other day to day activities including exercise, personal appointments, household chores and leisure activities each week.
Miki: What is it like the live in Orange and what are the people like?
Orange has been a wonderful place to relocate. There is so much to see and do from wineries, to lake walks, to exploring caves and visiting local shops, pubs and restaurants. I am really lucky to work with such a great bunch of people at CKH, who have invited me to join in with some of their social activities and widen my social network in Orange. The Orange community is super welcoming and always keen for a new friend.
Chloe and Miki: What are some important lessons you have learnt?
There are probably five most important lessons we have learnt so far during our time at CKH:
- Every experience is a learning opportunity whether its good or bad
- Good support and guidance can make a world of difference when beginning a full time career in healthcare
- Collaborating, communicating and networking with other health professionals is essential for providing high quality care for clients
- Work-life balance is super important especially as a new graduate to ensure you don’t become exhausted and burnt out
- The ability to be flexible and adaptable, because you never know what is going to happen with kids and a spanner can always be thrown in the works!
