05/12/2025
⭐️ Physio Spotlight ⭐️
Nirali Shah
Tell us a bit about yourself:
I am a physiotherapist from India. I worked as an ICU physiotherapist for 3 years in an outpatient PT clinic before coming to Canada in 2019. I completed my credentials and became a registered PT in 2022. I worked in multi-disciplinary private practice for a year and joined Health PEI in 2023. Right now, I am working as a physiotherapist in the emergency department at QEH. I am also a certified yoga teacher. I like CrossFit (still entry-level), playing chess, hiking, and travelling.
What made you decide to pursue this role as a Physiotherapist?
I had a dominant hand wrist fracture while growing up, and for post-fracture rehab, I went to physiotherapy appointments. I was amazed at how they helped with rehab. I decided to join PT after my high school graduation.
What does a typical day at work look like for you?
Right now, I work in the emergency hold department in QEH. It is more triaging work for PT treatment. Usually, I coordinate with the team leads in the emergency hold area. I assess patients for balance, coordination, neurological abnormalities, cardio-respiratory, gait and mobility and more importantly, safe discharges to home or facilities. Usually, I triage the people and assess them for their safe mobility or if they need further treatments or services. Working in emergency, I’ve diagnosed many undiagnosed neurological deficits like stroke, Parkinson’s, orthostatic blood pressure, BPPVs and various musculoskeletal conditions. I also treat vestibular conditions. And at the end, I report to the discharge coordinators/team leads and nurses about the patients and their mobility and coordinate with doctors for specific PT assessment findings and if the patient needs further investigations. In the afternoon, I usually do documentations (which is a little less favourite part 😉)
What additional training have you completed?
I have completed my yoga teaching training and Kinesio taping training and some shoulder and hip rehab courses before I came to Canada.
I took basic and advanced vestibular training and 2023, and in 2024, I have done a lumbar-sacral manipulation course. Recently, I have been doing Diagnostic Imaging for a physiotherapist course.
What is your favourite part about working in your chosen area?
I like the work pace while working in the emergency department. I like to see how my knowledge, skills and experience are helping people, helping in the diagnosis, and saving time and efforts for more tests. I am so glad that part of my service is helping the hospital to maintain the bed flow and betterment for the patient. My favourite part is to do the vestibular assessments and treatments and see the patient’s happiness when they are fully recovered.
