Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go” – T.S. Elliott
I am writing this piece whilst New Zealand is in full response mode to the COVID-19 pandemic. It has been tough and I have felt a gamut of emotions. And it has been during this time, that I have become even more proud to be a part of the Resonance Podiatry Group.
From the outside looking in, we are a group of podiatrists that share similar qualities – we care for our patients, we work hard, and we are interested in current research and upskilling. This is true. And it is these values that brought our group together in the first place. This is seen in little gestures such as giving a patient fresh figs from home after she declares she loves the sweet fruit, to more importantly calling the nurse, doctor, radiologist, and patient directly and even on the weekends to make sure things are going okay and putting together a plan of action. This is also evident as some of our members have board positions in professional bodies, lecture at university, and present at national conferences. This group has grit.
However, what the public does not see are all the machines operating in the background. The Resonance group has established a network of ways to communicate and support each other. In the daily occurrence, it is a wave of questions, suggestions, more questions and tremendous encouragement regarding the best way to manage a client’s condition. It may be as simple as what type of shoes do you think Bob needs – and trust me, even that thread can get long. But it is also about the times when there is a difficult situation, and it becomes obvious the entire group wants what is best for that client. Having a group that all think similarly, yet uniquely gives better bounce as ideas are thrown around. And this is what has become even more evident during this time.
Can I say that we were prepared or expecting this? No. No one was. But we had a plan and a system in place to deal with challenges that arose. This has been a long time in the making for the Resonance group, and it has allowed for the group to connect and work together, even though we are all in our own bubble. We are not just sitting at home knitting socks for winter, we are still waking up every morning and working on things to make sure we can get back to podiatry and back to our clients. We are coming up with ideas of how we can make things even better when we come back. Everything that has been put together is filled with empathy, courage, strength, trust, resilience and wisdom. I know that the coming months will continue to be a steep climb of challenges, but I am proud to be doing it with my Resonance family.
Written by Resonance Podiatrist Megan McPherson
