Butte College
News Announcement

Enloe’s Incident Command Center Provides Unique Training for Butte Students

When the Governor implemented a stay at home order due to the pandemic, all clinical training hours offered to Butte College students at Enloe Medical Center were suspended. With support from local legislators, an order was given to allow 50 percent simulation instead of the 25 percent that was previously allowed. This left students still in need of 50 percent of their hours in a direct patient care setting.

“It became appaent that if we wanted the students in our community to graduate, we needed to offer clinical time,” said Mike Wiltermood, Enloe Medical Center CEO. “We knew degrees were on the line and once we confirmed through Butte College and the California Chancellor’s Office, clinical students were considered essential—this helped us allow the nursing students back in to receive the training needed.”

Luckily for Butte’s 58 nursing students planning to graduate in May, they were able to resume their training to complete clinical hours required for graduation at Enloe on the patient care floors and receive unique first-hand training at Enloe’s Incident Command Center which is equipped to handle a broad range of crisis situations. The center now offers Butte College nursing students clinical hours so they can graduate as planned. The center is staffed with up to 8 RNs, 1 pharmacist, 2 admin support, 1 physical therapist, a medical assistant, a non-clinical manager, and up to 4 nursing students—who work at the command center, Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to noon.

“Right now, we are very grateful to have our 118 3rd and 4th semester nursing students receiving clinical time at Enloe’s command center and in patient care areas in the hospital. The command center is a one-of-a-kind learning experience for our students,” said Denise Adams, Butte College Dean of Instruction, Career Education. “Butte College students experience something different each day. They appreciate seeing this aspect of healthcare and are impressed that many of the decisions in a disaster are made by nurses in the command center.”

The center allows students to observe the daily operations of a disaster. Students are encouraged to ask questions, observe and listen to conversations and later detail those discussions. Students have assisted with the assembly of face shields when supply was exhausted and also now help with daily distribution of surgical masks and assist where needed.

“We are grateful for this partnership that provides students with the training they need to eventually work in our community. In a normal year, we partner with a variety of local industry partners but due to COVID-19, we’ve had to change clinical experiences. We are very proud of all of our local partnerships, including Oroville Hospital who helps train our 1st and 2nd semester students too,” said Laurie Meyer, Butte College Nursing Department Chair.

Enloe also has added nursing students into telehealth phone calls in the Hospitalist office, in addition to follow up calls with obstetrics patients.

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