[AFCampNurse]

Where do you all get your treatment protocols? I will be starting my 3rd year as a camp nurse next week at a terrific performing and fine arts camp for teens in southern NJ and I would like to replace our outdated treatment protocols/standing orders. Can anyone direct me to a good source?

I would love to find a website from which I can download protocols for everything from the use of acetaminophen for headaches to use of epi-pens for anaphylaxis. Thanks!

[kcangel]

Did you ever find any resources?
I too am updated my church camp nursing policies. Currently I have been following my hospital's P&P (children's hospital) and rewriting them to fit the camp environment. I have also found good info at the AAP website, stuff on how to treat fevers, etc.
Angela
p.s. Please share if you find anything good.

[AFCampNurse]

Nope, I'm still looking.

[kcangel]

I've went ahead and started writing my own. I'm using the children's hospital that I work at as a reference starting point. Someone also told me to check out the Boy/Girl Scouts medical badge or wilderness badge stuff. I haven't searched it out yet.

[Wendy79]

I don't know as much about Boy Scouts, but I can tell you there's absolutely nothing relevant in any of the Girl Scout badge books. The physician associated with the camp wrote our protocols years ago; subsequent physicians have updated them here and there, as whoever has that role has to sign off each year. Is writing treatment protocols and standing orders (obviously you'd have a physician sign them off) really a nursing role?

[AFCampNurse]

Wendy79, I would love for this to be not my problem but the protocols that we currently have are not reflective of the care we give. Our stock meds cabinet is stuffed with OTCs that we have no standing orders for.

The family medicine practice that we have worked with is NOT interested in any "extra" work, nor do they want to be bothered by camp nurses calling and asking, for example, if it's okay to give a camper with menstrual cramps motrin. They will sign anything reasonable we put in front of them.

To complicate matters, we would like to change docs (for a few reasons) but aren't having any luck finding a suitable replacement. We feel that a new practice would be "disinclined" to write a ton of standing orders for us right off the bat.

I certainly wish that this wasn't a nursing role but 3 years of camp experience tells me that if I don't do it, it's not going to get done.

[Wendy79]

Laughing--I definitely know what you mean. No one else in the camp probably REALLY cares, or understands, right?

Could you contact a camper's parent who is a doctor and might be willing to help you draft them? You could make a list of the problems you frequently encounter at camp, along with possible emergencies, and ask the doctor to look them over and write protocols.

You may be able to simplify standing orders with a form signed by parents on which they check off which of the OTC drugs you stock can be given to their kids.

Good luck!

[edgwow]

I found a resource for camp protocols. The "Camp Nursing" book by Linda Erceg is a great resource. There are treatment protocols in the back of the book. I bet you could write to the publisher to get permission to reproduce it for your camp. You can't just copy them verbaitem, as that is plagerism. These are all within the nuses scope of practice.

[edgwow]

The exact title of the book is called The Basics of Camp Nursing by Linda Ebner Erceg and Myra Pravda . It is endorsed and published by the American Camping Association. You should be able to get it on Amazon. The treatment protocols are on pp. 117-142.

[kcangel]

Same problem with our camp. The protocols are very outdated and most of them are simply incomplete or don't exist. Currently we do not have a medical director but are searching for one. The reason I have agreed to take this task on is because my license is on the line and I wan't good protocols in place for all the nursing staff, not just myself. Many of the nurse who work at camp come from adult or nursery backgrounds and are completely clueless at what to do for kids. I have the experience to know and I'm completely aware that what is in place now is not adequate.
I am currently borrowing that camp book that is mentioned above. It has given me some good ideas to implement. I am making a list.
My hope is that we will find a physician who is willing to sign off on what I have written.

How about as we write these we can compare notes and help each other out? I would be happy to share what I have written if you others would also. What do you think?
Angie