Self-assessment

Before coming to clinical and before every shift, students should complete a self-assessment, and if they have a fever, new cough or difficulty breathing they need to stay home from clinical. Use the self-assessment tool to determine if you need further assessment for COVID-19.

Enhanced screening for long-term care sites

If you are starting a placement at a long-term care home, please complete the Enhanced Screening Questionnaire 3 business days prior to your first shift (see "Long-Term Care sites" below for more information).

Travel advisories

If you have recently travelled out-of country, please refer to the BCCDC travel page for the latest travel advisories and other information.

Enhanced screening for long-term care sites

New students/instructors who are new to the long term care site or have been away from the site for more than 14 days, must complete the screening questionnaire 3 business days prior to their first shift and submit it to their director of care or manager.

• LTC COVID-19 enhanced student/instructor screening questionnaire
  

• Instructions for completing the questionnaire
  

LTC orders

• Residential Care Staff COVID-19 Preventive Measures PHO Order (October 8, 2021)
  

• Residential Care COVID-19 Vaccination status information and preventive measures order (October 6, 2021) 

• Long-Term Care Staff Assignment Order by the Ministry of Health (April 15, 2020)

Personal protective equipment (PPE)

Please refer to the VCH IPAC page for healthcare providers for the most up-to-date information on PPE recommendations (scroll down to "Personal Protective Equipment and Hand Hygiene" and click on "+" to expand).

Hand hygiene

1. Hand Hygiene video and poster
2. Hand Rub video and poster
   
3. 4 Moments of Hand Hygiene
   

Dress code

Please refer to the VCH IPAC page for healthcare providers for the most up-to-date information on Dress Code guidelines (scroll down to "Dress Code" and click on "+" to expand).

1. Am I Safe to Work?
2. How Do I Protect Myself?
   
3. How to Talk to Your Friends About COVID-19?
   

1. Stay at home when you're sick, even if symptoms are mild

2. When outside of your home, practice social distancing by keeping two meters (six feet) away from one another is something we can all do to help stop the spread of COVID-19.

3. Avoid crowded places. This includes play dates, group walks, basketball games and gathering on the beach

4. Take care of your mental well-being by checking in with loved ones and practicing self-care

5. Cough and sneeze into your elbow or sleeve

6. Wash your hands regularly

1. If soap and water are not available, alcohol based hand rubs (ABHR) can be used to clean your hands as long as they are not visibly soiled. If they are visibly soiled, use a wipe and then ABHR to effectively clean them

Source: BCCDC website

New students

1. New Students attending placements at all of our VCH sites are required to complete the COVID-19 online modules prior to their start date of their first placement, in addition to the SPECO Curriculum modules and requirements outlined on the SPECO Checklist. 

2. Please note that each module generates a completion certificate. To submit proof of completion to their school, students are to download completion certificates for all available modules within the curriculum and send them to their school placing coordinator.

Returning students

1. All returning students are to review the COVID-19 online modules for every subsequent VCH placement, which will not provide completion records.  All returning students are also to ensure any expired SPECO Curriculum modules, as outlined on the SPECO Checklist, are completed before attending a VCH placement.

Please review the following resources for the most up-to-date information on the immunization campaign:

• Provincial COVID-19 Immunization Plan
  

• BCCDC COVID-19 Vaccine
  

• ImmunizeBC COVID-19 FAQs
  

Please refer to the BCCDC'S Interim guidance on return to work for health care workers with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 - Updated September 22, 2021

The guidance includes information on criteria for return to work, considerations for maintaining staffing levels and earlier return to work precautions.

1. VCH COVID-19 Student Practice Guidelines - summarize new additional practicum requirements for students returning to our facilities. Please note that our regular requirements such as SPECO remain in place.

2. Student Practice Education Guideline for Healthcare Settings during the COVID-19 Pandemic (August 12, 2020) – provide guidance to the HCO and PSI sectors to promote practice education/clinical placement continuity for all health-care disciplines in BC during the pandemic.
   

3. Post-secondary institution recommendations by the Provincial Health Officer (February 21, 2020)
   

4. VCH Infection Prevention and Control website – provides information on COVID-19 resources for healthcare providers and general public
   

5. VCH COVID-19 public page – provides latest updates, public health orders and letters

6. Mask Use in Health Care Facilities During COVID-19 Policy

7. COVID-19 Return to Campus Guidelines