Niko Brenner - 30 DoS - Day 17

Tell us a little about your current work and study, especially how you think and practice critically.

Hi, I'm Niko, my pronouns are they/them, I have just finished my final year of an undergrad Physiotherapy programme in the UK and am thrilled to have secured a junior role in my top choice organisation. Aside from my studies, my main work currently involves creating a trans healthcare e-learning course with an interdisciplinary group of healthcare students and professionals. This course will be open-access for healthcare students and qualified healthcare professionals to learn more about trans identities and trans peoples’ specific healthcare needs.

My final year research project at university investigated UK physiotherapy students’ attitudes and beliefs around working with services users who identify as LGBTQIA+. I am hoping for the research to be published this year.

I am also an active member of the CSP (physio trade union in the UK) LGBTQIA+ network and have been involved in intersectional discussions and planning of strategic action at the CSP. I feel passionate about achieving better inclusion for marginalised service users, as well as physios, within our profession and am keen to engage in further EDI work as I develop in my career.

What is it about critical physiotherapy that appeals to you?

Throughout my degree, I have struggled to find my “crowd” within the physio world. I had some bad experiences being a trans physio student at uni, so I ended up removing myself from the social side of things a bit. I really wanted to find a network of like-minded physios to feel more belonging within the physio world. I am hoping to network and connect with other physios, with who I may share more common interests and values, through the CPN.

I also really want to be the most critically aware practitioner that I can be and want to learn and share knowledge and experience through the network to improve my care for the diverse groups of people I will be working with throughout my career.

What do you bring to the CPN?

I am very eager and motivated to engage in more critical discussion within the profession. I am hoping that my motivation will bring a positive and engaging new voice to the network. I also think my voice as a trans genderqueer physiotherapist will be valuable in starting and contributing to conversations about how we can deliver care that is safe and accessible to those who are not cisgender.

How would you like to see the critical physiotherapy community develop over the next few years?

I have not been a member for a long time and have not been involved in many events through the network. I would hope to see the network holding regular events to network and share ideas/research/experiences.

How would you like to see the broader physiotherapy profession develop?

I think much more is needed within the broader profession in regard to fostering critical awareness around structural discrimination, oppression, and inequalities and how these affect patient care as well as working relationships between colleagues. I would like to see critical discourse becoming a more integral part of healthcare education. Ultimately systems of oppression affect all facets of people’s lives including healthcare, so I feel it is vital that HCPs have a level of awareness of these issues.