Last update: March 28, 2022

Since the onset of the global pandemic, Drake Medox College has initiated and will continue to initiate and update the necessary policies and procedures to ensure the ongoing safety and well-being of all staff, students, and visitors to our Campuses.  We continue to remain up-to-date with all Public Health Authorities to ensure ongoing compliance with changing protocols.

To create and maintain a healthy and safe learning environment we have implemented the following measures:

• Implementation of online learning opportunities
• Implementation of the enhanced cleaning process for all campuses
• Requiring masks to be worn at all times while on campus by students, staff, and visitors, masks will be provided as needed.
• Safety protocol and directional signage
• Hand sanitization stations at the entrance of each campus and within all classrooms/offices
• Restricting occupancy in washrooms, common areas
• Installation of protective barriers in Reception areas and Administrative offices

COVID-19 SCREENING

All staff, students, and visitors to Drake Medox College are asked to complete a self-screen to ensure they are not exhibiting any respiratory illness symptoms before entering our campuses.  Please see the self-screen below.

The symptoms of COVID-19 are similar to the flu, common cold, and other respiratory illness and may include any or all of the following:

If you have any of the above signs/symptoms, please stay home, contact Drake Medox College for further direction regarding attendance at classes/labs.

The following screening protocol is currently in place:

IMPORTANT SCREEN FOR ALL VISITORS, STUDENTS & DMC STAFF

BEFORE ENTERING PLEASE ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS:

1. Are you experiencing a fever, headache, cough, sore throat, or any other signs such as respiratory illnesses associated with COVID-19? If yes, did these symptoms start less than 5 days ago?
2. Within the past 5 days, has a public health or medical professional told you to self-monitor, self-isolate, or self-quarantine because of concerns about COVID-19 infection?
3. Have you had laboratory exposure to biological material known to contain COVID-19?

IF YOU RESPONDED YES TO ANY OF THESE QUESTIONS PLEASE:

• DO NOT ENTER. Go home, call Health Link at 811 for additional information.
• If you are a student, do not visit or attend your classes at either the Surrey or Vancouver Campus, and contact us at 604-629-0196 for further details pertaining to your studies. Please keep checking your email for more updates.

STUDENT GUIDELINES FOR ONSITE CLASSES

All Drake Medox College Students are required to strictly adhere to the student guidelines for onsite classes at all times or they may be asked to immediately leave the premises and be denied future access.  These guidelines are implemented to ensure the ongoing health and safety of all students, Instructors, and staff of Drake Medox College.

• All Students must review and answer the Self Screening Protocol before entry to Drake Medox College.  If all questions are answered with a NO, you may proceed to enter.
• Anyone with symptoms of COVID-19 including fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, and painful swallowing is prohibited from entering any Drake Medox College Campus and must self-isolate at home for a minimum of 5 days per the Provincial Health Officer.
• You are prohibited from entering any Drake Medox College Campus if you:
  • Are under the direction of the PHO (Provincial Health Officer) to self-isolate, you must follow those instructions
• Immediately upon entry to the campus, you must sanitize your hands by using the hand sanitizer provided.  All students should continue to wash their hands frequently and thoroughly with soap and water for 20 seconds and/or use appropriate strength hand sanitizer.  Sanitizer will be placed throughout the campus for your use onsite.
• Students are encouraged to wash their hands frequently with soap and water for a minimum of 20 seconds and to avoid touching their eyes, nose, or mouth with their hands.
• Students may be required to have their temperature taken by the Instructor before entering the classroom setting.
• Students are asked to wear a mask at all times while onsite at the campus.  Use of personal masks is required for entry to the classroom.  Drake Medox College will not supply masks for students in the classroom, however, masks will be provided for lab use as needed.
• Students are asked to plan their travel so that they arrive on campus no earlier than 10 minutes before the start of their class and that they leave the campus within 10 minutes of the end of their class.
• All personal items must be stored underneath your desk, students must bring their own utensils for eating lunch and their own water bottles or refillable drink containers.
• Students are forbidden to share food or other personal use items such as utensils.  Potluck lunches are no longer allowed on campus
• Students will make every effort to practice Social Distancing (at least 2 meters from others at all times) while engaged in classroom activities while on Drake Medox College premises. 
• Students must take lunch breaks within their assigned classrooms and practice social distancing while doing so.  No food or eating is allowed outside of the assigned classroom.
• Physical contact with other students in class is not permitted.  Handshaking, hugs, touching of any kind is not permitted.
• Physical contact with Administrative or other College staff must be avoided while on Campus.  Students are asked to contact Administrative or other College staff by phone for assistance as needed.
• No children or other family members of students are allowed on the campus or in the classroom.  Only students may enter the campus buildings.
• No more than 2 students are allowed to enter the washrooms on-site at any one time.  If there are already 2 students in the washrooms you must wait outside the washroom door at least 2 meters apart.
• All desks must be sanitized at the start of class and at the end of each class.  Sanitizer will be provided in spray bottles and paper towels will be available in the classroom at all times to allow for this to happen.
• Classroom and campus high touch surfaces will be cleaned daily and garbage will be taken out daily by College staff to ensure the highest level of cleanliness at all times.
• Students should cough or sneeze into their elbow sleeve or a tissue. Throw away used tissues and immediately perform hand hygiene.

STUDENT LAB GUIDELINES

All Drake Medox College Students are required to strictly adhere to the student lab guidelines at all times or they may be asked to immediately leave the premises and be denied future access.  These guidelines are implemented to ensure the ongoing health and safety of all students, Instructors, and staff of Drake Medox College.

• All Students must review and answer the Self Screening Protocol before entry to Drake Medox College.  If all questions are answered with a NO, you may proceed to enter.
• Anyone with symptoms of COVID-19 including fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, and painful swallowing is prohibited from entering any Drake Medox College Campus and must self-isolate at home for a minimum of 5 days per the Provincial Health Officer.
• You are prohibited from entering any Drake Medox College Campus if you:
  • Are under the direction of the PHO (Provincial Health Officer) to self-isolate, you must follow those instructions
• Immediately upon entry to the campus, you must sanitize your hands by using the hand sanitizer provided.  All students should continue to wash their hands frequently and thoroughly with soap and water for 20 seconds and/or use appropriate strength hand sanitizer.
• All personal items must be stored outside the laboratory, no personal items including water bottles are allowed inside the lab area.
• All students must wear their uniform which students will bring with them to the campus and change into upon entry to the College, not worn en route on public or other personal transit. 
• All students must wear their own Masks and will be provided with Gloves (your PPE) which must be put on before entering the lab and worn at all times while in the lab.  If you use the washrooms during your lab time you will be required to discard your gloves, wash your hands as per normal protocol, and don a new set of gloves before entering the lab again.
• Students will make every effort to practice Social Distancing (at least 2 meters from others at all times) while not engaged in active lab practice while on Drake Medox College premises.
• Students will avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth
• Students will cover your cough/sneeze with a tissue or in your elbow
• Do not use pens or markers around the mannequins or task trainers.
• Mannequins and their parts are only to be removed by the instructor
• If you put anything on a mannequin (tape, topical meds, etc.) clean off the mannequin at the end of class using the appropriate cleaning product.
• Keep ‘patients’ clothed and covered for times that don’t necessitate exposure.
• Take care to not damage equipment when raising and lowering beds.
• At the end of class, reset the beds to the flat position, straighten the bed linens, and tidy the area around the bed.
• All lab equipment must be placed back into the proper containers in the lab cabinets neatly and tidily.  Labs should be in clean and pristine condition at all times for the next set of students to practice.
• All items that can be reused must be returned neatly to the recycle bins provided (used gloves are not recyclable and must be disposed of properly in a garbage receptacle; dispose of sharps in sharps containers).
• Report any damage to equipment or operating problems/missing supplies to your instructor immediately for their assistance.  We are aware that occasionally the bolts/screws of the patient mannequins come off and arms or legs will disengage, should you find this please advise your Instructor and he/she can assist you to fix it.
• If you are allergic to latex, it is your responsibility to notify your skill lab instructor.
• Report pregnancies, recent medical/surgical conditions, or communicable diseases to lab instructor or program coordinator as soon as possible so that necessary precautions may be taken. Medical clearance from a physician is required before a student with any of the above conditions will be allowed to practice in the clinical or skill labs.
• It is the right of the lab instructor or program coordinator to determine whether a student with any of the above conditions is capable of safely performing the necessary skills and providing care for patients.

STAFF GUIDELINES FOR WORKING ON-SITE AT VANCOUVER OR SURREY CAMPUS

• Staff will adhere to the working on-site schedule at all times unless schedule changes are approved in advance by your direct supervisor or the Director or Acting Director
• Staff must review the Drake Medox Self Screen Protocol before attending to work on-site and must answer No to all questions to enter the workplace
• Staff must wash their hands, including upon arriving for work, before and after breaks, after handling cash, debit machines, or other materials, before and after handling common tools and equipment.
• Staff must clean their personal workstations with antiseptic cleaners provided including Lysol wipes or bleach/water spray bottles upon entry and before the exit of the office each day they are present.  All surfaces are to be cleaned included desktops, doorknobs, light switches computer keyboards, screens, filing cabinets, and frequently touched surfaces.
• Any dishes or cutlery used from the Kitchen must be thoroughly cleaned and immediately put away after use.  DO NOT place these items in the sink, they must be cleaned immediately.
• Staff must maintain a distance of 2 meters from each other unless a partition or plexiglass barrier is in place to prevent the spread of infection such as in certain workspaces between workers.
• Staff will be provided with either cloth or disposable masks for personal use and must be worn in the office at all times.
• Staff is prohibited from congregating in any area of the office including the administrative work areas, Reception area, photocopier space, or kitchen.
• If any staff member falls ill while present at the worksite they must immediately contact their direct supervisor, Director, or Acting Director to inform them of their symptoms and to provide information on how they plan to get home safely.  Any staff member falling ill while on-site must leave the premises immediately after contact with their supervisor.  Further direction will be provided regarding isolation and return to work options.

GENERAL ONSITE SAFETY GUIDELINES

The following enhanced safety measures have been implemented:

Administrative Areas:

• Plexiglass barriers at reception and administrative offices to reduce face to face contact
• Facemasks are mandatory for all visitors, students, and staff at all times
• Hand sanitizer is available at all entry doors, in all classrooms and administrative areas
• Frequent cleaning of high touch, high traffic areas, and equipment
• Reduced onsite working schedule, with most staff working from home as much as possible
• Floor signs to promote appropriate social distancing
• In-person meetings are discouraged and if these cannot be accomplished through zoom or the use of Teams meetings then only a maximum of 2 people per office are permitted
• Social distancing rules must be followed at all times

Classrooms:

• Facemasks are mandatory for all visitors, students, and staff at all times
• Hand sanitizer is available and frequent use is encouraged
• Students will bring their own school supplies and not share them with others
• Desks are appropriately spaced to ensure proper social distancing
• Students are paired up with consistent partners when needed for interactive activities
• Instructors must leave the classroom when students are taking their lunch break and face masks are temporarily removed
• Students are required to wipe/sanitize desks when leaving the classroom after use.
• Instructors will schedule and stagger lunch breaks to reduce capacity

Common Area Expectations:

• All students, visitors, and staff are required to wear masks covering their nose and mouth at all times
• Common areas are marked for traffic flow
• Students will not congregate in common areas and must ensure they are practicing social distancing at all times

Washroom Expectations:

• No more than 2 people allowed to use the washroom facilities at any one time
• If you are waiting for access to the washroom you must line up as per the social distancing floor signs placed
• Washroom cleanliness will be monitored and frequently cleaned

Should you feel unwell and need to miss a class or be unable to attend a scheduled appointment please contact Drake Medox College as soon as possible at 604-629-0196 or contact your Instructor via email. We will provide you with all necessary directions to determine whether you may attend or an alternate class will be found once you no longer have symptoms of any illness.