Valuable work placement for Student Podiatrist, Lucy
At Accelerate CIC we have podiatry students on placement to gain experience and knowledge in other specialty areas of practice. It is important that students and people from other professions have exposure to our patient groups to gain insights into managing people with leg ulcers and lymphoedema.
Lucy, who is now qualified, came on placement to Accelerate and wrote a blog about her experience.
Accelerate was of interest to me because of the niche, but critical role they play for patient care. I have a personal interest in chronic conditions and diseases that are less well studied within the podiatry field, and lymphoedema definitely falls under this.
Podiatry currently has a heavy focus on diabetic foot and wound care, but the Accelerate placement demonstrated the importance of lymphoedema and its impact on the biomechanics of the lower limb.
Wound care
In the morning, I spent time with the wound care nurses, managing re-dressings and also seeing compression care in action. I met patients who travel a long way for the specialist treatment offered by the team. Also patients discussing various clinical trials of ulcer treatments they have been a part of which have led to their successful outcomes.
Biomechanics and gait
I spent some time with Fran Campbell (Clinical Lead and MSK Podiatrist) and sat in on some patient consultations. The biomechanics element for managing lymphoedema patients is complex due to the fact that this chronic disease massively affects lower limb movement.
I understood how compression, footwear and the psycho-social impact of the condition all play a role in the biomechanical treatment. Discussing orthotic management, exercise plans and seeing live gait analysis, including the pressure sensing mats, allowed me to witness Fran’s methods of assessments.
At the end of the placement I had the chance to try out the pressure mat used during gait assessments. Fran demonstrated how to interpret the results and also how to operate the equipment. We spent time analysing each other’s gait patterns and discussing the differences in our results. We also discussed the reliability of the equipment and spent time reflecting on clinical practice. I found this the most enjoyable part of my day as I got to take away my own gait pressure mat readings with me, and it gave the placement an interactive and personal touch!
Multidisciplinary team work
The takeaway for my own clinical practice was definitely the importance of integrated team work for successful patient outcomes. Working cohesively together and liaising with various team members – such as podiatry and wound care nurses, enabled better patient outcomes. It also highlighted to me the importance of not being dismissive of the impact of chronic, and often disregarded, conditions on the biomechanics of the lower limb.
The opportunity to visit Accelerate is something I would push for all students to do! It allows the opportunity to be exposed to unique patient groups and a fantastic chance to see first-hand MDT working.
A fabulous opportunity!
I would like to thank Fran and the team for their support and organising such an impactful day. I am proud to say I am currently a Band 6 podiatrist at Croydon NHS with a focus on routine care and biomechanics. Having spent such a lovely placement day with Fran and the team at Accelerate, it definitely pushed me into wanting to have a biomechanical focus within my career.
Lucy – Podiatrist
