Physiotherapy
The Physiotherapy Department provides service to the following specialities:
Inpatients
- Advance Practice Roles: Emergency Department
- Cardiology and Cardiothoracics
- Emergency Medicine
- General Medical
- General Surgical
- Geriatric Evaluation and Management (GEM)
- Intensive Care and High Dependency
- Liver and Renal Transplant (State Specialist Centre)
- Medical Assessment Unit
- Neurology and Neurosurgery
- Oncology
- Orthopaedics
- Plastics
- Prehabilitation Service
- Respiratory Medicine and Cystic Fibrosis
- Vascular
Outpatients
- Advance Practice Roles: Comprehensive Spinal Clinic, Orthopaedics and ENT
- Breast Centre
- Cardiac Rehabilitation
- Cystic Fibrosis and Bronchiectasis
- Hydrotherapy
- Liver Transplant
- Lymphoedema Service
- Musculoskeletal
- Plastics
- Pulmonary Rehabilitation
- Vestibular and Neurological Rehabilitation
- Women’s and Men’s Health
Research
Many members of the Physiotherapy Department are involved with postgraduate research, either undertaking a Masters or PhD, or in a supervisory role. Below is a list of the achievements of our research clinicians.
Doctors of Philosophy and Research Staff
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Brigitte Tampin, GradDipManipTher, MSc, PhD PhD Thesis: Clinical and somatosensory characteristics of patients with nerve-related neck-arm pain. Special interests: neuromuscular disorders and neuropathic pain, advanced scope physiotherapy. |
Diane Dennis, BAppSc(PT), GradDip (Health Administration), PhD PhD Thesis: Exploring different models of stroke unit care and outcome Special interests: wellbeing and burnout in healthcare professionals, neurosciences, and critical care. |
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Naomi Chapman BSc(PT) (First class honors); PhD PhD Thesis: The Metaneb® System in adults with cystic fibrosis: investigating its effects during periods of clinical stability and disease exacerbation (ongoing). Special interests: cystic fibrosis, respiratory disease, airway clearance, neurology, rehabilitation post neurological event. |
Nichola Foster BSc; BPhysiotherapy (First class honors); PhD PhD Thesis: Traumatic Heterotopic Ossification: Exploring Prevalence, Risk Factors, Prevention and Treatment (ongoing). Special interests: traumatic heterotopic ossification, impact of heterotopic ossification on rehabilitation post burns, neurological and orthopaedic trauma, neurological rehabilitation. |
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Candidates
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Mena Garcia-Vega B.ExSc (Physioland Chemistry);B.Sc (PT);GradDip (Neuro Rehab);Masters (Neuro Rehab) PhD Thesis: Clinical, Rehabilitation and Neuroimaging Investigation of Lateropulsion, Graviceptive Neglect and Verticality Perception in Neurosurgical Patients with Brain Tumours: A Prospective Cohort Study Special interests: acute stroke, traumatic brain injury, neuro-oncology, spinal pathology, early rehabilitation and adjuvant technologies to enhance neuroplasticity and maximise recovery after acquired brain injury. |
Cobie Starcevich BAppSc (PT); Masters ClinPT; PhD Thesis focuses on athletes’ experiences of recovery following ACL injury, with particular interest in why some athletes continue to feel vulnerable, uncertain, or threatened by reinjury long after their knee has physically healed. Her work explores how psychological, social, and contextual factors shape recovery and return-to-sport outcomes and seeks to translate these insights into practical strategies that help clinicians support athlete confidence, decision-making, and long-term participation in sport following traumatic knee injury Special Interests: Female athlete knee health and is a strong advocate for sex and gender equity in health, sport, and performance |
Education
Undergraduate Education
Clinical education is an integral part of physiotherapy education in Australia. As part of their accreditation requirements, all Australian physiotherapy courses include mandatory supervised practice in the clinical environment. Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital provides over 350 placements each year to Physiotherapy students enrolled at the University of Notre Dame Australia and Curtin University. Student interactions with patients are supervised by qualified practitioners who guide the development of essential skills in a peer-supported environment. This allows the students to consolidate theory into practice and develop clinical and professional expertise.
Collaborative Learning Models
Collaborative Learning Models are used in most clinical areas at SCGH. This allows one physiotherapist to supervise two or more students. This type of student-model is commonly used in Australian physiotherapy practice.
Examples are:
- 6:1 Model: Curtin Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy Clinic
- 4:1 Models: Intensive Care, Respiratory Medicine, General Surgery, Neurology (inpatients and outpatients)
- 2:1 Models: Cardiothoracic Surgery, Neurosurgery, Oncology, General Medicine, Aged Care
For more information please contact: Diane.Dennis@health.wa.gov.au
Students
We are proud of our role as a teaching and research hospital and supporting the next generation of health care professionals. We have a range of physiotherapy students undertaking clinical placements at SCGH to gain essential clinical experience which will hopefully provide the foundations for their future career in the health care environment. In 2019-20 we employed two new graduate physiotherapists.
We support the Physiotherapy programs at Curtin University and the University of Notre Dame Australia. Each year we provide practical experience to over 300 physiotherapy students. We also support post-graduate students in the specialised Cancer service, Outpatient Musculoskeletal and Allied Health assistants in the GEM unit.
The clinical calendar is divided into 10 consecutive five week blocks of full time day shifts. All students (University of Notre Dame and Curtin University) commence each placement on the Tuesday of the first week and finish on the Thursday of the final week.
Curtin Physiotherapy Clinic
Located in the Physiotherapy Outpatients Department in A Block, the clinic is run by a full-time supervisor and six final year physiotherapy students from Curtin University. The same public referral guidelines for the Outpatient Physiotherapy Department apply to the Curtin Physiotherapy Clinic (external site).