Making OT More Clear

When I first decided that I wanted to go to OT school, I began shadowing at a variety of clinics, not only to gain the observation hours needed for admissions, but also to make sure it was the field I wanted to pursue. I remember thinking that in my variety of settings, OT looked very different at each one, and I did not see much of a unifying factor among them, so I remember thinking I would like OT as long as I was in a specific type of setting. I observed a pediatric private clinic, a pediatric outpatient rehabilitation facility, a hand clinic, and acute care - both in the cardiac ICU and the oncology wing. What I really noticed among these was that there were some settings in which care seemed much more client -centered, while others really seemed like they had a specific regimen that they followed no matter the patient. I realize now that goals in each of these settings are very different because the clients are so diverse, but I am also realizing what made me more uneasy and disinterested in some of the settings. The acute care facility I was in was clearly focusing on rehabilitation after trauma or surgery, which makes sense given the facility. My problem with this, however, was that there seemed to be a lack of goals set by the client and working with occupations that the client found meaningful. When I observed any of these sessions, I merely saw the OT walk in, introduce themselves, and proceed to help the client sit up or even transfer from their bed to their chair for a little while. While this is a necessary step in that person's recovery, we as OTs need to really make sure that their experience with us is centered around occupation. In this case, that could mean doing the same activity, but explaining to them why it is important and how it will help their recovery and functionality in the long run. It could also help to see if there are any activities that they may want to be working on or have questions about their abilities to do them, since their stay in acute care will often be short, and they may or may not be going to see an occupational therapist afterwords. Doing these things ensures that care is client centered, and while it may take a bit more time, it is the ethical thing to do and factors in to best practices for the clients.