General Information

Recruitment

All posts in the Physiotherapy Department CUH are advertised and recruited through the Health Service Executive South. Most are advertised on the www.careersinhealth.ie. Informal enquires may be directed to the Physiotherapy Manager, Sinead Glennon, or to HSE South recruitment. All non Republic of Ireland graduates must be validated by the Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists (ISCP) (info@iscp.ie) prior to employment.

Period of Adaption Requests

Occasionally the Physiotherapy Department gets requests from Physiotherapists who have completed their physiotherapy training oversees requesting period of adaptation work placements. Unfortunately, due to our strong commitment to undergraduate placements it is not possible to facilitate these requests.

Transition Year Students Work Experience

Unfortunately due to our strong commitment to physiotherapy undergraduate placements it is not possible to facilitate these requests. Once or twice a year an open information afternoon is organised by the Physiotherapy Department for transition year students. Should you wish to attend this, please contact Physiotherapy Reception on +353 (0)21 4922400 and leave your details.

Research and Education

Undergraduate and post graduate training is facilitated through the Department. The Department is a recognized clinical practice site for physiotherapy students from the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland (RCSI). Students from RSCI, and on occasion from other physiotherapy colleges, complete placements here under the supervision of practice tutors. Physiotherapists are also involved in providing training workshops and lectures for staff and patients within the hospital.

Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

The Physiotherapy Department places a strong emphasis on encouraging CPD of staff in line with the ISCP recommendations. Regular in-service training, clinical supervision, peer learning, clinical reasoning sessions, journal clubs and mandatory training schemes are in place. An education committee and a research committee meet regularly within the department. Staff are encouraged to attend relevant courses and conferences. A formal appraisal system for therapists is in place, along with opportunities to complete personal development plans. All staff are involved in departmental service planning. Post graduate education is encouraged and supported.  A number of staff  have completed or are currently involved in masters (MSc.) programmes.

Research/Publications

Research plays a vital role in ensuring that treatments provided are in line with evidence based practice. The Physiotherapists in Cork University Hospital are actively involved in both local and national research projects and regularly present their findings at medical and therapy conferences, as well as through publications in recognized journals.

Some examples to date include:

Clinical Research

• Research study completed on evaluation of the use of an incremental exercise programme on a chronic stroke population
• Research study completed on the effectiveness of acupuncture in the treatment of myofascial neck pain
• Research study into effectiveness of pilates classes for low back pain patients
• Ethical approval has been received for and data collection has commenced for CUH Physiotherapy Dept to participate in a nationwide study on profiling patients with multiple sclerosis
• Ethical approval has been received for CUH Physiotherapy Dept to participate in a multi-centre trial investigating the impact of a personal auditory cueing device on freezing in Parkinson’s disease.
• GRIP Trial (Group therapy versus individual therapy for pelvic girdle pain in pregnancy) – a randomized controlled trial for the treatment of pelvic girdle pain in pregnancy.
• Study investigating the activity levels of patients following heart surgery  

Conference Poster Presentations

American Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Conference

The use of Pari-PEP for nebulisation of 6% saline in CF patients

Irish Rheumatological Society

A Review of the Physiotherapy Service Provided to Patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis in Cork University Hospital

Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists Conference

• An Evaluation of a ‘Back to Fitness’ Style Class for Chronic Low Back Pain in an Irish Physiotherapy Outpatient Department.
• Incidence of backache/backpain in pregnancy
• The effect of evidence based training on physiotherapist knowledge in the assessment and treatment of facial palsy in the rehabilitation gym at Cork University Hospital
• Effects of a 6 Week Aerobic Training Programme on Walking Speed, Balance and Quality of Life in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis
• Audit of Tracheostomy Patients In Cork University Hospital during 2007
• The effect of visual surface electromyographic (sEMG) biofeedback on grip strength
• Audit on the use of Non-invasive Ventilation (NIV) on general wards in Cork University Hospital (CUH) over a six month period.
• An investigation into exercise patterns of patients with chronic kidney disease receiving dialysis at Cork University Hospital
• Using the MAS as a tool to predict outcome in stroke rehab patients
• The effect of a 6 week exercise class on patients with Parkinson's disease

Publications

D Meldrum, D Filan, A Lydon, M Loughnane, F Geary, L Shanley, K Sayers, E Shinnick. Assessment of undergraduate physiotherapist clinical performance: investigation of educator inter-rater reliability. Physiotherapy (94) 2008 212-9

Moloney, A., Dolan, M., Shinnick, E., Murphy, M., Wallace, L. (2009) A 6-month evaluation of a clinical specialist physiotherapist’s role in a fracture clinic. Physiotherapy Ireland, Jan., 30(1), pp. 8-15