Observations/Job Shadowing
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Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center offers a variety of opportunities for qualified students and licensed practitioners to observe members of the healthcare workforce first-hand. You'll not only witness a provider's professional role and responsibilities, but also the function of a department and how it integrates within the hospital and overall healthcare system.
Who can apply for an observation?
- Students - must be at least 16 years old
- High School Groups - program coordinators must work with a Medical Education Specialist to set up an experience for multiple students
- Healthcare Professionals - staff from other healthcare organizations and EMMC employees
How long can observations be?
- 1 - 2 day experiences
- 4 - 8 hours long
- Only 1 experience per observer
Where can observations occur?
- We offer experiences in a variety of locations and specialties throughout Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center.
- Availability is dependent on each department and will be determined at the time of the request.
- Observers may have already coordinated with a provider; otherwise, a Medical Education Specialist can request availability for you.
What happens after making an observation request?
- Once we have received all of the required documentation, we will review and begin to process the request.
- Should you be approved for the observation, you will receive further instruction from the Medical Education team.
Please be aware that we receive a very high volume of requests to observe, so we aren’t able to accommodate more than one role per person. We have limited capacity in many departments and have even reached capacity in some clinical areas. Therefore, we are unable to guarantee placements.
Also, due to such high demands, response time is not always immediate. Kindly note that it may take up to two weeks before hearing back. If documentation is received in piecemeal, this will also delay the process. Requests will be processed in the order they are received and could require longer processing time depending on whether a provider has already agreed to host you or not.
We appreciate your patience!
Benefits of an Observational Experience
- Determine your fit for a career in healthcare.
- Better understand the skills and knowledge required for a specific specialty.
- Experience the healthcare environment and culture of the medical field.
- Create valuable connections with providers currently working in your desired profession.
Application and Approval Process
- Request is made to Medical Education.
- Medical Education Specialist will confirm with preceptor, then reply with instructions for completing onboarding requirements.
- Observer completes and submits all onboarding requirements.
- Med Ed Specialist will process onboarding and request approval.
- Med Ed Specialist will arrange for communication between the preceptor and the observer. The preceptor will establish the date, time frame, and activities for the experience directly with the observer.
- Med Ed Specialist will provide reporting instructions for arriving to the facility and obtaining a visitor's badge. A pre-arranged meeting place and time will be determined and communicated by the preceptor.
Onboarding Requirements
- Application for Observational Experience
- Confidentiality and Information Systems Agreement
- Dress Code for Observers
- Immunization Documentation - official immunization records or titers are acceptable documentation. Formal documentation is required; screenshots and self-reported information is not acceptable.
- MMR - Measles, Mumps, and Rubella
- Varicella - Chicken Pox (stated history of chicken pox is not acceptable)
- Flu - it is currently flu season, so you will need to provide flu shot documentation for 2023-2024 or a Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center declination form, which requires a provider's signature.
- Letter of Recommendation - high school students only
- Orientation to Life Safety
Roles and Responsibilities of the Observer
- Come prepared with basic knowledge of the specialty, questions for your preceptor, and an open mind.
- Take note of the healthcare environment, focus on the subtleties of the patient/provider interactions.
- Your experience is what you make it - the more engaged you are, the better your experience will be.
- Patients and staff deserve the utmost respect; you should be presenting yourself as the future professional you will be.
- If at any time you feel uncomfortable or unsure of a situation, please make your preceptor aware.
- No hands-on or verbal interactions with the patients will be permitted.
Definitions
- OBSERVATION: an observation is an unpaid learning experience where the participant accompanies a preceptor throughout their daily routine, observing and discussing experiences and questions.
- PRECEPTOR: a preceptor is the provider that has agreed to host you for an observation.
- STUDENT: an individual enrolled in an accredited college, vocational, or professional school.
- HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL: any pracitioner holding a current license from Maine or another state.