Lané Herrewyn helps ICU and patients recovering from spinal cord injuries, work towards their ability goals but she also shares tips with her colleagues to help prevent back pain.
Cape Town, South Africa (21 September 2023) – Today we meet another hero of Groote Schuur Hospital, Lané Herrewyn is a Physiotherapist and loves her job. She works in the ICU and wards of the spinal cord injury unit, providing physio to those who need it. While her focus is on patient care, she also shares advice to her colleagues to help prevent back pain.
Heroes of Groote Schuur is a Facebook page dedicated to highlighting the amazing people who work or visit the Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town.
The page highlights all the incredible work being done by the staff who keep everything running smoothly. Heroes featured on the page often have the most interesting jobs.
Lané shares her story in her own words below:
“I qualified as a physio in 2019, and started working here in 2021 on a “Covid contract” before getting a permanent post at the end of 2021. I mostly work in an in-patient setting, am responsible for the physio management of patients in ICU and wards of the spinal cord injury unit.
I always thought that it would be great to start my career in a state setting. There’s a lot to learn, and this is where a lot of research gets done. There’s so much experience to learn from here, and my colleagues all strive for excellence.
It sounds cliched, but what I love about my job is working with people, supporting them at their most vulnerable and helping them get back to their lives. There’s something special about that. I also love the fact that my days are never the same; there’s always a story to tell and a lesson to be learnt.
There are challenging parts. Losing patients is obviously the hardest. We get to know our patients here, and we always have goals in mind and when it goes the other way it can be very challenging.
Many of the patients in the spinal cord unit are going through the stages of grief as many of them are dealing with paralysis and loss of movement, and a loss of what their lives were like before. As a physio you are often there to help guide them through these stages, and we often become the person they talk to as they deal with this. But then the positives are being able to celebrate the small achievements, which are actually big wins in their context in terms of gaining movement and gaining independence.
We focus on patients, but it’s also important that our staff here take care of their bodies. A lot of our staff have to do activities that put them at risk of back injuries, especially those who have to do lifting such as the nursing staff and the porters. But admin staff are also at risk – sitting down all day also creates the risk of back pain.
I think the most important thing is to keep moving. You need to be fit for purpose. You need to look after your body so that you can perform your job role without hurting yourself. And even if you are fit for purpose, if you have to lift or move things you always have to do so properly and in the correct way – you have to make sure you’re using your legs to help you, activating your core. And call on someone else if you need assistance! You have to first look after yourself before you look after anyone else. For admin staff who sit a lot, you need to get up and move and stretch. Staying in the same position all day really puts you at risk of developing back pain, so keep your body moving.” – Lané Herrewyn, Physiotherapist
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