Home > Career Options > Kum Ba Yah! Camp Nurses Kum Ba Yah!

Kum Ba Yah! Camp Nurses Kum Ba Yah!

Summer is here and parents everywhere are anxiously waiting for yellow school buses to come and haul their kids off to summer camp. But kids aren’t the only ones who will be spending the next couple of weeks fending off mosquitoes in the great outdoors, many Registered Nurses will be joining them.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of Camp Nursing

Nurses are usually hired by the camp directors for the summer, accepting either a full-time or part-time schedule. To fill this position, nurses must be well prepared, professional and more importantly come with a good sense of humor. Campers have been known to come down with some rare ailments, like squirrels disease, kum-ba-yah fever, bunkitis and of course, the incurable creepinglakecrud rot.

All joking aside there are serious responsibilities that come with the territory. Essentially camp nurses, and camp staff in general, are stand-ins for parents. While mom and dad are taking their much needed break and relaxing poolside somewhere, camp nurses have to make sure everyone is taking their medications, watch for side effects and monitor kids with chronic diseases such as asthma, diabetes or epilepsy.

Additional Helpful Resources Include: The Association for Camp Nurses The American Camping Association Camp Jobs CampNurse.com GreatCampJobs.com CampNurse Jobs.com CampCareers.com SummerJobs.com CampStaff.com

Camp nurses also take on the role of the local health department, checking everything from the sanitary conditions of the bathroom and kitchen to how often kids are changing their underwear.

Fresh Air, Blue Skies, and Poison Ivy

Camp nurses must function as risk managers too. They have to gather and analyze information about the environmental health hazards that can be on the camp property. These hazards can include natural obstacles, such as exposed tree roots and rocksat campers can trip over, potholes, inadequate lighting, poison ivy or poison oak bushes, and even beehives that need to be removed.

Camp nurses must also learn where the closest healthcare facilities are around the campsite. At camps, equipment will be limited, there is no laboratory or pharmacy, and chances are there will be no physician on-site. There might not be any additional healthcare professionals either. So it’s the camp nurse’s responsibility to learn where the local hospital with emergency care capabilities is located. They may also want to find out whether there is lab nearby for blood work and other necessary tests.

Multi-tasking has Never Been So Inviting

As a camp nurse you will take on many roles, from direct care provider to program manager, educator, and even a health counselor. But one of the others characters you might become familiar with is your inner child. Face it — you’re out of the hospital and the clinical setting and in an environment where the focus is having fun. Hopefully, the most contagious thing you’ll encounter is laughter.

Ultimately the best thing about camp nursing is that you get to go back to camp. This gives you the opportunity to indulge in a special interest you might have, like arts & crafts, horseback riding, gymnastics, cooking, swimming, even religion. You can choose to be in a camp that’s far from everything or choose one that’s inner city. Camps are located in all sorts of geographical areas and each one will offer a unique community with a culture all its own.

Know Where You’re Going and What You’re Getting Into

If you’re thinking about becoming a camp nurse for the summer it’s a good idea to look into your options ahead of time. You must be licensed in the state where the camp is located. If you find a camp halfway across the country that seems like the perfect fit, you’ll want to have enough time to get the proper paperwork in order. You can’t expect to go through the licensing process instantly because camp starts in a week. Also, it’s a good idea to look into educational programs that can prepare you for practice in a camp environment. You can find out more information about available resources and training at the Association for Camp Nurses.

Another important point to keep in mind when choosing the perfect camp opportunity is its location. A remote campground may offer you a beautiful, peaceful setting but it also means having to be comfortable with your emergency skills. You also have to be prepared to make judgment calls with no second opinion. Camps that are more than an hour away from a hospital setting will most likely follow a wilderness medical protocol, in which case you would need a specific wilderness EMT certification. When working in remote areas nurses should work with camp directors to develop specific plans in case of emergencies. Key steps should include a method of moving injured campers to a hospital hundreds of miles away and a way to call for emergency help when needed.

Do It For Love not Money

Camp nurses are far from being the highest paid occupation. You need to really want to do this and consider the break from the norm as payment in itself. Working with children will teach you things about yourself that you may have never known. Their creative and imaginative view of things is guaranteed to offer you a refreshed spirit. Once you take an assignment as a camp nurse you may find yourself signing on every summer…not for the money but for the fun and interesting things you’ll learn.

Caring for campers and camp staff is challenging. It will test your critical-thinking skills and your ability to adapt your clinical practice to a camp environment. At the same time you will become more confident in making decisions on patient care and in taking an authoritative role. As a result your nursing career in general will benefit.