New to camp nursing and need some guidance

BonnieSc · Jan 4, 2009

Hi, Brooke! Camp nursing is really fun and rewarding (except in the monetary way).

I used to be a camp counselor, so that's how I found my most recent camp. If you are interested in a camp near your home, I would just do some googling for "summer camp [my town]" and see what comes up--even if you can't find job listings yet, go ahead and email the general address to ask about availability. I know of one camp, Camp Cedarledge, in the St. Louis area that I know has hired nurses for short-term contracts in the past. I'm sure there are others.

Camps that need volunteers are more likely to be Christian camps or special needs camps, such as those for CP or diabetes, in my experience. You can probably find those through Google, too, or ask around at schools and churches.

Most camps ideally want to hire a nurse who can work the whole summer, but often have to hire for 1-2 weeks at a time. Some camps have a month-long season, but 8 or 9 weeks is more common.

Salaries are never high. It is important to find out about the working conditions. Ask about the health center, about who takes over on your day off, and about the experience of the camp director--how long has s/he been at the camp?

Good luck! I'm always happy to answer questions about camp nursing.

Neveranurseagain, RN · Jan 5, 2009

Some camps do pay rather well...how about $800-$1000 week plus room and board! Positions are usually for 8-12 weeks but some camps let you bring your kids too!

pedsrnsrock · Jan 8, 2009

Try the ACN website. I found a wonderful camp and have already signed up for the upcoming summer.

nurseinct1000 · Feb 11, 2009

Yes, look at the ACN and www.campnurse.info, they both have a lot of jobs listed all alround the counrty. Now is the time to look for a summer camp.

KeriCarter · Mar 10, 2009

Wow, I never would have thought of this! It sounds like a fun, new adventure for nurses. I will be looking into some of the job postings on the sites you posted. Thanks for the information!

Keri

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CoachCathy · Mar 22, 2009

Camp nursing is great! I've worked at a YMCA camp for the past four years, and look forward to the summers every year. It's a great bridge for school nurses. I work at Camp Sea Gull. We have 800+ campers with 300+ staff. They staff 11-12 nurses and 3-4 docs at a time. We have 3 hours a day off, where we can enjoy the activities. I am able to bring my kids with me. What a deal.

We handle a lot of general trauma - small (and some large) lacerations, occasional broken bones, lots of rashes. You'll see some anaphylaxis (kids exposed to new things), home sickness, and the occasional 'plague' as kids share their germs with others. It's fast-paced, but a lot of fun!