A week ago at this time the Madison Community Hospital was on full alert, dealing with dozens of injuries following a tour bus crash. Responding to the crash stretched the entire community to its limits. But the hospital had some very special, extra help that day.

Last Wednesday was unlike anything staff at the Madison Community Hospital had ever seen before. It was also first day of clinicals for 7 SDSU nursing students.

Even as patients were still being pulled out of the overturned bus and loaded into ambulances and helicopters, this hospital was getting ready.

Nursing student Kyla Jensen says, "all the nurses were running, everybody's bringing wheelchairs and oxygen, vital sign carts to the E.R."

The students watched the patients already admitted, and helped staff hustled to care for the arriving injured passengers. Fellow student Lacey Fergen says, "it was a huge rush. But, I'm glad we could help and I'm glad we could have been there."

Wednesday was the groups first day back since the day of the crash, and as they settle into a little more normal hospital routine Kyla says it was a great experience, but it was also scary. "We didn't know what kind of bus it was. I was very scared if it was kids, because it's harder to keep kids calm, and I know a lot of kids cause I'm from the area."

Both say the experience, even this early in their nursing careers, taught them the importance of staying calm and will make them more prepared for the next emergency they face.