Job Shadowing/Volunteering

In keeping with the missions of the Universities we serve, the SHC PT Department offers job shadowing/observational opportunities for students with an interest in Physical Therapy.  To minimize disruptions in patient care, only ONE STUDENT may volunteer during a designated time period (e.g. 8-10 am Mondays).  This policy is non-negotiable.

Requirements

For students who need an evaluation of their observation experience (e.g. for application to PT programs), students must  observe a minimum of 20 hours (NO EXCEPTIONS).  Based on our experience, it is rarely possible to formulate a meaningful, objective opinion about the readiness of an individual to begin a PT curriculum with less than 20 hours contact time.  There is no minimum observation time requirement for students who do not need an evaluation of their experience.

ALL students observing/job shadowing are required to prepare and bring a time log sheet to each observational session, to keep track of their hours. This sheet MUST be initialed (or signed) by an SHC PT or PTA at the end of each observational session for verification of attendance.

ALL students are required to schedule observational sessions at the PT Dept. front desk once they have been oriented.   Again: ONLY one student may observe at any time—no double-booking is allowed.

ALL students must sign a patient confidentiality form before observing patients.  

Dress Code

ALL students are required to dress and act professionally, and wear name tags. No jeans, shorts, or sandals (or other open-toed shoes).  Collared shirts and belts are required.  Shoes must be clean.

Expectations

ALL students are expected to assist staff with non-technical PT procedures (e.g. assembling/disassembling hot or cold packs), and simple, routine cleaning (e.g. cleaning treatment tables).  Students are encouraged to interact with patients but should do so without interfering with staff or the therapy process.

Students are expected to be punctual and consistent in their attendance. If you are unable to report at your scheduled time, call the PT department immediately.  Students who fail to show for 2 volunteer shifts without notifying the PT department in advance will be removed from the schedule.

Procedure

To begin the job shadowing/observation process:

  1. Read the Requirements and Expectations above
  2. Send an email to Chris Durall (durall.chri@uwlax.edu) requesting to volunteer and indicating that you have reviewed all the information on the website.  Make sure to include how many total hours you want to volunteer.    
  3. You will receive a reply from Chris w/ further instructions.  Re-send your email if you do not received a reply within 7 working days.
  4. If we have reached our quota of volunteers, you will need to make arrangements to volunteer at another site (e.g. Gundersen-Lutheran, or Franciscan-Skemp Mayo)

Additional Information

We cannot predict nor control how many patients or what types of patients students will observe. Students should be prepared to spend most of their time observing patients exercising in the PT gym.