Ryan Oxenford - Shellharbour Private Hospital

Ryan Oxenford, 35, has been a physiotherapist at Healthe Care's Shellharbour Private Hospital in Illawarra, New South Wales,for four years.

What's the best part about your job?

I think it's the main reason we all get into healthcare: to see the impact we can make on people's lives by assisting them to overcome an ailment, whether it be a fracture, surgery, or illness. The joy on their (and their families') faces makes it a very rewarding career.

What is something about your job that not many people know about and what would surprise other people about working in a private hospital?

Physiotherapy in a private hospital and especially Shellharbour Private Hospital is so varied, and no two days are ever the same. The commonly-held belief is physiotherapists exist in a sporting clinic or in an ICU or post-surgical ward in a public hospital. Here it is all-encompassing, and you have the ability to follow your interests more.

What do you love about working in a private hospital?

It would have to be the close-knit team working environment. Not only within the immediate team, but in a broader sense across the hospital as well. We work closely with key stakeholders including specialists, which aids in assisting the patient in their recovery. 

I have worked also in the public system and often this effect is diluted due to the fast-paced nature and other external pressures placed which can lead to a disjointed team and sub-optimal patient outcomes.

What do you like to do outside of work and/or what is something your colleagues don't know about you?

I enjoy keeping fit, with running and cycling being my main fitness hobbies. I enjoy watching all sports, but I'm a cricket tragic! 

This is all assuming that I get spare time, with a busy home life having a four-year-old and a six-year-old who like to keep me on my toes!

What is the best piece of advice you've ever received?

Don't be afraid of failure – be afraid of not trying.

• If you are looking for a role in a private hospital, check out the latest job opportunitieshere.

Read more: Helen Fang – Shellharbour Private Hospital

Read more: Mathew Galea – Gosford Private Hospital

Next Interviews:
16/12/2024 Sinead Dyer - West Leederville Private Hospital

Previous Interviews:
12/11/2024 Eve Dawson - Bethesda Health Care