A letter to potential Job Shadow Program participants
Dear Participant,
Thank you for sharing your interest in Prairie Lakes Healthcare System’s Job Shadowing Program! The goal of our program is to provide experiential learning opportunities to help you learn about various careers in healthcare, as well as learning about the skills different health occupations require. As a program participant, you will have the opportunity to see the day-to-day work of professionals in the healthcare field and workplace. Program participants are not permitted to take part in hands-on patient care. This is an observational experience only.
Our program is open to anyone over the age of 16.
*Please note: The Prairie Lakes Job Shadowing Program does not arrange physician shadowing opportunities.*
Job shadowing tips:
- Do not bring anything in with you that you do not really need (such as: purses or backpacks, items such as books, magazines, journals, chewing gum)
- Smoking/vapes are not allowed on site as we are a smoke-free facility.
- Be sure to eat well on the day of your shadowing experience.
- Report to the Human Resources Department unless otherwise instructed the morning of your shadowing.
- Do not come in if you feel ill, have a fever of 100.4 or more, or have a contagious disease. Call or email the program contact to let them know you will not be coming in.
- Be sure to wash your hands at the beginning of the experience, frequently during the shadowing, and before leaving the hospital.
- Do not enter a room marked isolation. They will have colored cards beside the door and will say Contract, Airborne, Droplet, or Protective. Do not transport specimens.
- Do not touch blood, body fluids or any questionable substance. If you accidentally do, wash the area, and report it IMMEDIATELY. Do not remove trash or dirty linen from patient rooms. Do not take any potentially contaminated items.
We have a downloadable application packet with the required forms and signatures along with vaccination forms below that you will need to turn in before you can be a job shadower or observer.
Download the Application pdf Flu Vaccine Form (105 KB)
Once you have completed your packet, please send it to the Shadowing Program contact, Chelsea Saxton. Your information can be faxed to (605) 882-7720, dropped off at the Human Resources Office, or mailed to the following address:
Prairie Lakes Healthcare System
c/o Shadowing Program/Human Resources
401 9th Ave NW
Watertown, South Dakota 57201
If you have any questions, feel free to contact us by phone at (605) 882-6745 or email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Once we have your completed paperwork, we can schedule your shadowing hours. We look forward to helping you explore your career options in healthcare and hope your experience will be rewarding.
Regards,