Workforce

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INMOTION 01 Dec, 2022

New College President to take the helm

The incoming President of the Australian College of Physiotherapists, Tom McMillan FACP, has aspirations to help demystify its inner machinations and help grow the College. Here, Tom speaks with Melissa Mitchell about his passion for the profession and for promoting the College’s pathways and programs in line with its new strategic plan.

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INMOTION 01 Nov, 2022

Stress and burnout in the workplace

Managing stress and staying mentally healthy at work are critical to overall health and wellbeing. Here are some practical tips for employers and managers to limit stress and better protect everyone’s mental health at work.

If workplace stress is not appropriately managed, it can lead to more serious mental and physical health issues, such as burnout.

Burnout refers to a state of mental, physical and emotional exhaustion driven by chronic workplace stress.

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INMOTION 01 Nov, 2022

Maintaining adequate records

Scott Shelly and Ashlee Sherman of Barry Nilsson explain why adequate record keeping is essential for physiotherapists and how to avoid breaching professional obligations.

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INMOTION 01 Nov, 2022

Who’s who in LGBTQIA+

The APA’s newest group is the LGBTQIA+ Advisory Panel, but what do these letters mean? Committee member Tamara Crook sheds some light on important concepts and terminology related to the LGBTQIA+ community.

Some decades ago, those within the LGBTQIA+ community began using ‘LGB’ as a shorthand way to describe diverse sexual identities and gender expressions.

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INMOTION 01 Nov, 2022

Tribunal outcomes and education

Complaints about medical practitioners can lead to serious consequences. Court and tribunal summaries published by the Physiotherapy Board of Australia help physiotherapists understand their obligations.

The Physiotherapy Board of Australia and Ahpra regularly publish court and tribunal summaries for the purpose of professional education.

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INMOTION 01 Nov, 2022

College Fellows can now use ‘Doctor’

You may have heard that Fellows of the Australian College of Physiotherapists (ACP) now have the right to use the title ‘Doctor’ to demonstrate their professional achievement and standing.

The APA lobbied the Physiotherapy Board of Australia to recognise this right as one of several new initiatives designed to strengthen the rewards and recognition of being a Fellow.

In so many ways, this is long overdue. Specialisation is a hugely significant achievement.

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INMOTION 01 Nov, 2022

Volunteer raters for PEDro

There are a number of ways to become a volunteer rater for the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro). Geraldine Wallbank explains how to get involved.

Readers would be very familiar with PEDro as a database of physiotherapy research but this isn’t the only resource offered by PEDro these days, is it?

The Physiotherapy Evidence Database, or PEDro for short, is 23 years old, so many readers will have used or heard of it at some point.

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INMOTION 03 Oct, 2022

A good look at mental health and self-care

Bronwen Otto explores the prevention and management of mental health disorders in the workplace, while Ellen Lake discusses the role of self-care in physiotherapy.

Mental health at work

Mental health is defined as ‘a state of mental wellbeing that enables people to cope with the stresses of life, realise their abilities, learn well and work well, and contribute to their community’ (World Health Organization 2022a).

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INMOTION 01 Sep, 2022

Probation periods for new employees

When a person begins a new job, it is common for their employment to be subject to a probation period. Here is a closer look at the ins and outs of probation periods as well as an employer’s scope to terminate employment during them.

What is a probation period?

The term ‘probation period’ refers to the initial months after a new employee has been hired, during which both employer and employee are given the chance to evaluate whether the working relationship is right for them.

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INMOTION 01 Sep, 2022

White paper lays out transformative reform path

APA National President Scott Willis considers the APA’s upcoming white paper, Future of Physiotherapy in Australia, which calls for comprehensive reform and outlines seven detailed actions to bring it about.

Where to for reform?

The past decade of policy drift has meant there’s been little to no progress towards creating the value-based healthcare system we need.