My Working Day: Irene Byrne, respiratory physiotherapist at the Mater hospital, reaps huge rewards from her work on the heart and lung transplant programme.
In conversation with Danielle Barron
I work with the heart and lung transplant programme. People always assume that this means I work only with transplants, but I also work with a whole range of patients.
We've been doing heart transplants at the Mater for over 20 years and we carried out our first lung transplant in May, 2005. Prior to that, we assessed patients for transplants that took place abroad.
I work with the three Ps: the pre-, the post- and the palliative stage of care. I assess patients for transplantation and I try to ensure they can optimise their condition for surgery. That may involve an exercise programme and pulmonary rehabilitation so they will continue to maintain their wellbeing.
I look after patients once they've had their surgery, right through until discharge, and on their return to the clinic, continuing their rehabilitation right back to health and looking at any issues that may arise later in life.
There are certain patients who never were and never will be suitable for transplants and my role there is to ensure they can maximise their ability, which may be from energy conservation to best use of their oxygen to an exercise programme within their capacity. It's about making the best use of their energy for the important things in life. This may mean ensuring that they can play with their children or do whatever profession they are working at, or just showering and dressing.
There are no cutting-edge happenings without research into new ways of doing things and I would be involved in some of the research programmes that are ongoing and I keep up to date with new developments.
Part of my job is teaching - both colleagues and students - and a large part of my work involves educating patients on a healthy lifestyle and how to maintain bone health and muscle strength.
I also travel with the Irish team for the Transplant Games, which took place in Ireland three years ago. Last year, we went to Italy and came home with many medals.
My working day is 9am-4.30pm but I'm also on-call some evenings for general respiratory work. The approach to transplant care is multidisciplinary, from physios through to pharmacists.
We have an extremely tight team here, with the result that it works extremely well towards supporting a patient because there are a huge number of elements in transplantation. This all goes towards longevity, and the life expectancy of a transplant patient has extended over the years because of new insights and better management of patients.
Of course, the transplant programme cannot happen without the generosity of donors and their families.
I've been working as a physiotherapist for 29 years and it is an honour to be part of such huge life-changing events. To be part of something so extraordinary is quite amazing.