Charting at camp

[BonnieSc]

Counselors start arriving for staff training in one month, so I've been thinking about camp more and more... I have a lot of freedom to basically make health center policy, so I'm trying to decide if there's anything I want to work on this year.

I'm thinking about charting. This is probably the top complaint we've had from short-term nurses over the years. Our system works like this: counselors provide first aid "in the field" and write it in a notebook; we collect the notebooks at the end of each week and copy entries into our main logbook; then we copy each entry from the logbook onto a sheet of paper to send home to the parents. (We get a new batch of kids each week.) It amounts to a LOT of writing and copying.

Does anyone have a different system of charting that works well for you? Anyone use a computer in your charting / letters home?

While I'm at it, who IS going to camp this summer? I'm at a Girl Scout camp in northern California.

[ViolinNurse]

verdanadark slate blue

i will be working for one week at a music camp. i have been looking for a documentation tool for camper complaints/action taken/results/permissions sought etc. does anyone have such a form? i don't want to start from scratch if someone has a form to share. it needs to include who was notified, when, if permission was granted to transport camper in private vehicle for attention (i had a camper with severe earache last year) etc. i get concerned with all the legalities and want to make sure appropriate things are documented. ideas?

:melody:

counselors start arriving for staff training in one month, so i've been thinking about camp more and more... i have a lot of freedom to basically make health center policy, so i'm trying to decide if there's anything i want to work on this year.

i'm thinking about charting. this is probably the top complaint we've had from short-term nurses over the years. our system works like this: counselors provide first aid "in the field" and write it in a notebook; we collect the notebooks at the end of each week and copy entries into our main logbook; then we copy each entry from the logbook onto a sheet of paper to send home to the parents. (we get a new batch of kids each week.) it amounts to a lot of writing and copying.

does anyone have a different system of charting that works well for you? anyone use a computer in your charting / letters home?

while i'm at it, who is going to camp this summer? i'm at a girl scout camp in northern california.

[glascow]

The camp I go to is for kids with disabilities, so our charting is extensive, no computers, and WAAAYYY too much.

We do send letters home with each camper informing the parents of how their child's stay was, plus put a copy in their chart.

Ex.

Dear Mr and Mrs Doe,

This letter is to inform you that while at camp John Doe recieved all of his prescribed medications. He remained healthy and injury free and had a great time! We are looking forward to seeing him again next summer.

Camp Nurse

[ViolinNurse]

the camp i go to is for kids with disabilities, so our charting is extensive, no computers, and waaayyy too much.

we do send letters home with each camper informing the parents of how their child's stay was, plus put a copy in their chart.

ex.

dear mr and mrs doe,

this letter is to inform you that while at camp john doe recieved all of his prescribed medications. he remained healthy and injury free and had a great time! we are looking forward to seeing him again next summer.

camp nurse

thank you for reply. i ended up designing my own forms for injury/illness reporting after discovering there was "no such animal". utilized a composite of some of our hospital forms with emphasis on times parnets/guardians were notified, nursing assessment, the call to the triage service the camp uses and their recommendations etc. included a place for rn signature, camp director, and for parent/guardian to sign that they recieved the report and any summary of care by an off campus facility etc. i had been very concerned about the laxness in documentation. but then, other nurses had been "retired" or perhaps not as aware of the legal world as i am. i am taking some medication forms with me as well this year!

[glascow]

Sounds like you did a good job. It is a lot of work, and often the "retired" nurses or even nurses that just come out for a day or two don't realize the liability that could occur, for them, it is just a "fun time." Which it should be, but all camp nurses should be aware of and make sure that proper documentation is being done. Hope you had fun. I had a great time, but am exhuasted!!! Can't wait to go back next year!

[kiddonurse]

I can't believe anyone else worried about documentation the way I did. I've worked a couple of yrs as an unpaid camp nurse out of state, one wk per summer. My first yr was as kitchen volunteer, and I was told by that week's nurse that her frustration was at not having any form for documentation that meds were given (so she didn't document anything). Knowing that, the first yr I went, I brought some sheets I had created to at least mark a med given. That yr, I spent a lot of time on the phone (in another building) asking parents for permissions to give motrin, tylenol, etc. Almost no one had such permission on the applications, although no one ever minded. Next yr I asked parents in advance for permissions for those PRN meds (whoever actually came to see me to drop off meds) and so I had some preapprovals, but never enough. Never thought about a follow-up letter, though, and wonder when I'd have hand-written those, covering 24/7, with wake-ups at night, chasing after kids who forgot to get their PM meds, etc. They thought I was crazy, as it was, for worrying so much about the details like charting meds, getting a license for the state, ....

Loved the camp, but opted out for this summer, because I finally realized I was forfeiting a week's vacation to wear myself out doing that "free" job! :uhoh21: Oh, and to get the nursing license for that other state so that I could legally work there, I paid out of pocket, but the BNE in my state said I'd have to have it. Pretty expensive volunteering (& I still keep it current & pay each time).

~~~~~~~~~~

Thank you for reply. I ended up designing my own forms for injury/illness reporting after discovering there was "no such animal". Utilized a composite of some of our hospital forms with emphasis on times parnets/guardians were notified, nursing assessment, the call to the Triage service the camp uses and their recommendations etc. Included a place for RN signature, Camp director, and for parent/guardian to sign that they recieved the report and any summary of care by an off campus facility etc. I had been very concerned about the laxness in documentation. But then, other nurses had been "retired" or perhaps not as aware of the legal world as I am. I am taking some medication forms with me as well this year!

[hmcna]

I've done camp nursing at 3 diff camps....

we've never done much with documentation....

get the standard pe form from family dr....

get contacts and emergency permission....

get list of meds the kids are on, will accept parents written or dr's note.

Include a note to families explaining about OTC type of tx.... and list of what we use.... asking for a note IF any of those are not ok.

meds must come in prescription bottles, or blister pack samples... not just baggies

for sick calls, we just wrote in a communication log book, what the kid came in for.... and what we did....

IF it was more than basic first aid...

we called the parents, or had the kids call... and then we'd talk to them.

ie if they had to go to the ER or the dr.

At one point, one of the camps, had a nurse practioner.... so we tx and prescribed there.... and if we needed to do something more than otc... or basic first aid, we'd call.