Sharing research after graduating

I graduated last year with a BSc in physiotherapy from the University of Southampton and I currently work at University Hospital Southampton NHS Trust in my first band 5 rotation within elderly care. I’m loving putting all that I learned during my training into practice and seeing the difference that physios make.

During my studies, I worked with fellow BSc students Beth Day and Robin White on a research project looking at how students develop their knowledge, skills and confidence to offer advice to patients. This work was supervised by Lisa Roberts and Lisa Osborn-Jenkins. 

Giving advice is one of the most important skills we need to develop as physios, and yet it’s one we don’t spend much time developing in undergraduate training and clinical placements. 

The topic guides were developed with five qualified physiotherapists. Two pilot focus groups and one interview were undertaken with podiatry and occupational therapy students to refine the study processes.

Data was then audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, coded and analysed thematically using a framework approach to manage the data. 

We were delighted to win the CSP student research poster award at 2020’s Physiotherapy UK and have the opportunity to present our poster at the conference. When I first heard this event was online, I wondered how interactive it would be. But during the event itself I had so many valuable networking opportunities and felt confident presenting our poster to the whole vPUK community, even as an avatar.

Going forward, my aim is to complete my rotations, progress to band 6 in respiratory (as I find this area fascinating) and put myself forward to be a CSP steward. 

In terms of research, I would love to get involved with some quality improvement projects. I would also strongly encourage students to get involved in any research opportunities. We all need to engage with research to future-proof our profession and showcase the difference that physiotherapy makes to patients and their families. 

• Hayley Payne graduated in 2020