Shireen McConnell said she couldn't sleep last night when she returned home from work at the Hennepin County Medical Center, where the first victims of the I-35W bridge collapse tragedy were sent.

"I couldn't turn my brain off," she said.

McConnell, who graduated from the University with a biology degree in 2004, said HCMC issued a code orange last night, meaning on-call staff was to report to the hospital early. McConnell arrived at 6:30 p.m. and stayed until 11p.m.

McConnell said she was personally involved with three cases last night, but said HCMC treated 30 to 40 victims. She said she didn't know how many went to surgery.

From what McConnell could tell, many of the victims had suffered lacerations. There were also a large number of head injuries, she said.

McConnell said there were no deaths reported in the operating room while she was there. However, she said a few patients from the emergency room that were scheduled to go to the operating room never arrived.

Many of the surgeries last night were what McConnell called "exploratory" surgeries, which were for victims who were bleeding and unsure of the source of the injury.

An emergency Cesarean section was also performed on a pregnant victim, she said. The woman and her child were fine in the OR last night, McConnell said.

McConnell said it was hardest to see the families who came to the hospital in search of loved ones.

This morning, McConnell went to work at St. Joseph's Hospital in St. Paul. But before she went, she had to go back to HCMC to retrieve her pager, which she had forgotten last night among the chaos.

"(Last night) was kind of crazy," she said.

While at HCMC this morning, McConnell said she noticed some families that were in high spirits and talking with each other.

"They were bonding," she said.

For students who have been affected by the tragedy, Boynton Health Service and University Counseling and Consulting Services are providing walk-in counseling.

Amelious Whyte in the office of student affairs said additional staff may be provided to help out. This could include counselors who aren't usually scheduled during the summer or other psychologists and psychiatrists who could get pulled away from other jobs, he said.

According to the Counseling and Consulting Services website, it is suggested that individuals affected by the tragedy should talk with others about their experiences.

They also urge that people respect others if they don't wish to talk about their feelings.

Additionally, it is recommended that people avoid over-consumption of the news coverage and instead try to return to a normal routine.

Counseling services said a person may benefit from counseling if they had loved ones involved, are experiencing abrupt behavior changes or are experiencing hopelessness and despair.

The mental health clinic is located on the fourth floor of the Boynton Medical center, which is on 410 Church Street S.E.

University Counseling and Consulting Services is located in 109 Eddy Hall, on 192 Pillsbury Drive S.E.