Rebecca Green, BSc (Hons) in Prosthetics and Orthotics graduated in 2010 from the University of Salford.
I started my career at Selly Oak Hospital, at the West Midlands Rehabilitation Centre, working with specialist orthotics. This gave me a great opportunity to fast pace my clinical knowledge and I worked with a fantastic clinical team, with specialists in; Diabetes, Lycra garments, Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) and specialist lower limb clinics. Following my time at Selly Oak I worked for a large commercial company seeing private patients for the provision of FES and high-end carbon fibre devices, as well as assisting clinics in Malta and across the UK. After the birth of my daughter, I took on a position as Clinical Lead Orthotist based at the Heart of England NHS Trust, this taught me a lot about management and the skills required to run a patient centered, quality orthotics service. This lead me to complete my Masters in Healthcare Management at Anglia Ruskin University. I always strive to deliver gold standard, clinically supported orthotic care, and take great pride in providing a holistic approach to patient assessment and treatment. After the birth of my second daughter we relocated further North, where I worked as a Senior Orthotist in all aspects of orthotic care, based at Cannock Hospital.
When I met Kate, we were both passionate in providing high quality care to our patients and hit it off straight away. We wanted to create an avenue where patients can select products to help them manage their own conditions and disabilities, but to offer clinical assistance when needed. Total Body Orthotics has given us the opportunity to develop an online sales system for patients which we are both proud of. I have also been committed to raising the profile of our profession and will continue to provide the best possible orthotic care for my patients.
Kate White, Bsc (Hons) in Nursing graduated in 2006 from The University of Birmingham.
From a young age it was clear nursing was a vocation for me and I have enjoyed every opportunity that has been given to me. I started my career based in Selly oak hospital, Birmingham working on an acute trauma and orthopaedics ward which gave me a fantastic working experience. This provided me with extensive learning opportunities in clinical practices, communication and people skills, team working and accountability. This was a busy and vibrant environment that really enriched my nursing abilities.
Following a house move and marriage I decided to move into community nursing and became a district nurse. I felt privileged to offer nursing care in the home environment and work with a range of supporting services to tailor care to support patient’s needs. I was passionate in delivering quality care and support, working autonomously and as part as of a multi-disciplinary team. During my time working in the community I competed many other postgraduate degree and masters modules to further my knowledge base and also became a nurse prescriber.
I was able to develop both management skills and clinical progression and accepted a career move into Tissue Viability as a clinical nurse specialist. Here I managed a caseload of complex patients using my own initiative as a caring, compassionate and patient focused practitioner. I performed holistic thorough patient assessment and care planning for patients where complex wound management and pressure injury prevention was required. The role was very much a teaching platform both formally and informally in the clinical area and focused on motivating staff to improve practice and ensure safe, effective care.
As things often are in life, I had to take an unplanned and sudden career break after my now 3-year-old son was born with a serious medical condition called Epidermolysis Bullosa. This was a devastating diagnosis and unbelievable that this serious skin condition related to my nursing specialism so closely. It was as though my career had been building up to caring for my son all along. The decision to continue nursing was taken away from me because I now had to focus on looking after my son. This opportunity also gave me the ability to see healthcare from the other side and what we as ‘patients’ need and hope for. The importance of empathy and compassion to care was paramount to me. Having someone understand the hardships of a long-term condition and the effects it has on a family was now so important. I like to think this experience has shaped me as a nurse and given me even more understanding into how vulnerable a person is when they need care.
I feel extremely privileged to be able to work from home to enable me to look after my son but have very much missed nursing. I met Becky because we live in the same village and our children go to school together. We quickly became good friends over a mutual love of amateur dramatics (that’s another story) and it was then that Becky discussed a working partnership in Total Body Orthotics. This opportunity suited me perfectly. I get to work with my friend and am enthusiastic to get back into patient care and healthcare.
