Limits of patient's recovery

So I've been in my placement for a week now and have learned quite a bit about different neuro conditions as well as working in a rehab setting. My experiences have been mixed although considering that I usually have totally unrealistic expectations that is to be expected.

I have learned the hard way that being on placement is not the same as being in school and the expectations are definitely higher and much more strict. There are a lot of things that are accepted in school that are unacceptable in some placements and it is usually better to be conservative in everything than to take chances. For example eating in front of patients is frowned upon, dress has to always be conservative, and what you say has to be filtered extensively since you never want to make the pt uncomfortable and in general be professional (easier said than done).

What I find frustrating is that there are limits to what people with different conditions can and can't do, and often recovery does not mean return to previous functioning but it means achieving the max that is possible or attainable during a 3 month rehab and then accepting their new life. I always thought that recovery meant returning to what you were doing before the injury or accident but that is not really applicable to the neuro setting, since the brain and spinal cord do not repair themselves and if someone has a stroke or hemorrhage or aneurysm, there is permanent brain damage that does not recover and even if the physical issues are resolved, the cognitive issues are not and the person may always have memory problems or difficulty with multitasking as well as a host of other problems.

I quess I always thought that everyone could be cured but I realized that the goal of a PT in a neuro setting is to help the pt achieve their own max but it doesn't mean that the pt will be able to walk or even transfer by themselves, the goal is to make the transfers or general mobility easier.

On a professional note, I have finally learned to distance myself from patient's since I realized I if I don't see them as pt I won't be able to help them objectively and will burn out fairly fast. Most days I already feel very overwhelmed by everything and even though I need to study when I come home, the only thing I can do is watch tv since I'm so exhausted.

What I realized is nothing is as it seems and that treating people with complex issues is a lot more difficult and challenging than I thought.