Since my last communication to you, Intermountain Health Care, in consultation with administrations of all Utah based Nursing and Medical Schools, has decided to limit student participation in Operating Room activities due to limitations in PPE resources needed for care of patients with COVID-19. Other training sites in both Utah and Colorado have begun to limit student OR participation as well. Below lists again RVU COVID-19 policy governing expectations of students on clinical rotations, with a OR policy added, reflecting the changing situation.

All RVU students on clinical rotations must:

1. NOT participate in the bedside care of patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 illness.
2. Report themselves to their preceptor and RVU clinical coordinator IMMEDIATELY if they have come within 5 feet of a patient diagnosed with COVID 19 for a period of five minutes or longer without wearing PPE. (presumptive exposure)
3. Report themselves to their preceptor and RVU clinical coordinator BEFORE REPORTING FOR DUTY if they have traveled outside of the State of Utah for Utah based students, or if they have traveled outside of the State of Colorado for Colorado based students.
4. Self-quarantine if they develop symptoms of COVID-19, notify their preceptor that they have symptoms, notify their RVU coordinator, and contact their personal health care provider for diagnosis and treatment.
5. With an abundance of caution, and the vital need to preserve resources necessary to keep staff and patients safe while delivering care to patients with COVID-19, RVU students will  only observe procedures done in operating rooms until such time as a student’s training site feels that resources are adequate to allow a student to actively scrub in again.  

RVU will continue to update you as training sites’ policies evolve in response to the pandemic’s demands on health care resources. Thank you for your patience, understanding, and dedication.