[nurse_wannabe]

Howdy all! Today I was offered a position as camp nurse at a science camp here in Missouri.

I am so happy, excited, and yes, anxious!

I will be the only nurse there (80 kids), and in the few days before the campers arrive, I want to make sure the health lodge is well-stocked with everything I might need.

I know I'll need:
Band-Aids
Steri-strips
wound cleanser
4x4's
tape
TAO
ice packs
hot packs
Calamine Lotion
hydrocortisone cream
Aloe vera gel
lotion
Ace wraps

and OTC meds:
Benadryl
Tylenol
Pepto Bismol

I know I'm forgetting a ton of stuff!

What can you add to this list?

[nightingale]

We used lots of ice (a cube or two at a time) wrapped in papertowel for bee stings.

Add Calamine lotion.

Make sure the kiddos have their meds coming in with the prescription bottle.

[Wendy79]

tweezers
safety pins
alcohol preps
Be sure you have MANY sizes of bandaids
tampons and pads
lice shampoo
extra insect repellent and sunscreen
rubbing alcohol (to dry up water in the ear)
ibuprofen
cough drops
decongestant (usually use this only for staff)
cotton balls (multiple uses)
triangular bandages
liquid versions of medications
peppermints to settle stomachs
epi-pens (regular and Jr doses)
baby wipes--used a lot in the first aid kits to clean scrapes before bandaging "in the field"--and occasionally in the health center for a hard-to-wash place
eye wash (love that insect repellent... and the dust)

I'll probably think of more later.

Ice is SO important! I freeze it in plastic med cups... very convenient for beestings and swollen mosquito bites, and to numb slivers a little.

[mrscmt]

This is a great list! One of the school nurses I worked with uses lemon drops for sore throats.

[rnsrgr8t]

What a great question. Being a pediatric nurse, I do have once concern about using adult Pepto Bismol in children. It has aspirin in it which is contraindicated in children. However, they recently came out with a "kids" pepto that does not have the aspirin in there. I just wanted to clarify b/c a lot of parents do not know not to use adult pepto in children.

[sharon13]

I have been a daycamp nurse for the past 2 summers and look forward to this coming season. I am the only nurse for over 200 campers. One of the items I have found very useful is white vinegar. It takes the sting out of beestings and is easy to apply to multiple stings,instead of those little sting pads or applicators. Good luck. Sharon

[nurse_wannabe]

That's an excellent point, rnsrgr8t, and one I didn't even think about.

I have never heard of the white vinegar thing! A nice tip for sure.

Thanks to all who've replied, and if anyone knows of anything else, please share!

[lokicat]

One little tool that may reduce the emotional trauma of removing a spinter is an emeryboard (for fingernails). If you can use the board to pull the splinter out (applying slight pressure and pulling it in the direction directly opposite of the splilnter) you could remove it without having to remove it with a small gauge needle.

It is worth a try, I have used this technique and have achived good succsess.
Lokicat

[askdrn]

Hi!
I have been a School Nurse and Camp Nurse for a few years. I would add to this great list some non-medical supplies. Safety pins, sewing supplies, eye glass repair kit, Contact solution. Also I have found that putting hydrogen peroxide in a small spray bottle is great for cleaning knee scrapes, etc, without having to "touch it". Other indispensible items include running shoes, a big heart, patience, and a sense of humor!
Happy Summer....

[Wendy79]

Good thinking on the repair kit! I've used ours many times. I sometimes use plain water in a spray bottle to clean wounds--no "ouch".