DSHS partnership with Centralia College Nursing Program blossoms
Staff at Maple Lane campus are ready to welcome a second cohort of nursing students this spring.
In April, nursing students at Centralia College will return to the Department of Social and Health Services’ Maple Lane Campus for clinical rotations, a required element of their degree program. This unique partnership began last fall.
Nursing students at Centralia College are required to complete 500 hours of face-to-face clinical patient care, including clinical rotations. Jenny Bauska, nursing program director for Centralia College, notes that while students are required to complete time at behavioral health facilities, it has been challenging to find a location that both has availability and is a short drive for students.
“It’s been hard finding locations to do rotations near our campus. Western State Hospital is quite a commute for our students. We can use simulations as a last resort, but of course we’d much rather have an in-person experience,” Bauska says.
Last fall, 28 nursing students participated in the first clinical rotation at Maple Lane Campus since DSHS’ Behavioral Health Administration took ownership. The program began with eight hours of de-escalation training conducted by Maple Lane’s Devan Knutter and Heidi Gilpatrick. The training was held at Centralia College, providing information on how to deal with disruptive or aggressive residents on campus and what to expect during their rotation.
Following this training, the students spent two days shadowing Maple Lane staff through a full shift at one of the three operational units on campus. Students participated in rotations from October until early December.
“We wanted to show them the full experience,” said Micky Faulk, psychiatric nurse executive for Maple Lane Campus.
Their experience included observing shift exchange reports and daily clinical meetings, where the treatment team discussed reactions to medications, discharge planning, changes in behavior and conflicts among residents. Students were also able to observe group therapy sessions and recreational therapy sessions, and even meal and snack times.
“The goal is to open the eyes of the students to the world of behavioral health,” said Faulk. “Hopefully some of these students will like their experience enough that they pursue a career in behavioral health, and maybe we’ll see some of them again.”
He noted that at least one Centralia College graduate was currently on staff at Maple Lane. Bauska was effusive in her praise for Maple Lane’s staff and the campus itself.
“Every single student got to rotate through different units,” Bauska said. “The staff was great and really welcoming to our students. The campus itself is just beautiful. The campus feels like it perpetuates mental health. It’s a very different experience than any other facility we’ve worked with.”
She noted that the first rotation received great feedback from both students and faculty. The next group of students will participate in rotations on campus from late April until June.
Written by Tom Vásquez, DSHS Behavioral Health Administration
