Reflection on Previous OT Observation in Hospitals

Before beginning occupational therapy school, I completed 100 hrs of observations in various settings. One setting I observed in was a hospital on a subacute floor where often physical therapists and occupational therapist would co-treat. I am reflecting now and acknowledge some areas that I am still uncertain about. I noticed in my observation that there was a lot of overlap between the treatment of the PT's and OT's and sometimes the treatment appeared the same. I observed that the main goal of most of the treatments was to get the patient up, out of the bed, in the chair, or walking down the hallway. I rarely observed discussion with the client about what was meaningful to them or work towards a specific occupation. My current thoughts now are that my observation was limited and I know I didn't see the full scope of what OT's do in a hospital setting. I also wander if OT's in this setting focus more on evaluation, ambulation, and then referral to an outpatient setting where there will be more specific work on the client's goals of occupation. I look forward to understanding the broader scope of what OT's do in all settings including work in a hospital.