Published Apr 16, 2005
menetopali
203 Posts
what is the common weekly rate for camp nurses? i know it doesn't compare with hourly rates, so a weekly or seasonal rate would be helpful.
BonnieSc
1 Article; 776 Posts
A good way to check this out is simply to go to a few camp websites in your area of the country (or wherever you want to go). Look at private camps as well as "agency" camps (such as Girl Scouts and YMCA). (You can find camp websites through http://www.acacamps.org. It's possible to search by region, specialty, etc.) Many will list pay rates in their job descriptions.
That said, a typical pay rate for a camp RN seems to be $85-95 per day. A season is generally 8-10 weeks.
thanks for the imput. i had a hard time finding pay rates on the sites i checked linked with http://www.acacamps.org maybe its operator error .
Pat ET
3 Posts
Several years ago I worked for 7 summers as a camp nurse. I found that working at a camp for physically disabled or developmentally disabled kids payed about twice as well as a regular camp. Hard work though!!
marybethm
48 Posts
In my experience, the pay can range from zero at some camps if you are bringing a child who gets free tuition, to $550/week including free tuition for two kids. It depends on the size of the camp; frankly unless you have personal knowledge of a small camp, I would stay away from them. Your Infirmary is probably very small, poorly stocked and you are going to be overworked. But what is just as important as the money are your accomodations. Find out if you have your own room, a private bath. Are you sleeping in the infirmary beds or do you get a room? Ask for a photo of your room.
CampRN04
8 Posts
My camp starts at 900 a week ( negotiable for more of course) for a camp nurse. This includes lodging, meals and free camp tuition for your kids.
I have been there for 3 years now.....I LOVE IT!!!!!
Wow, that is great pay! What camp do you work at? What's the infirmary like and what is your room like? How many nurses and campers were there? There is such a huge difference in camps, the pay scale and the way they view the health center and the nurses. I'd love to hear more.
Our Health Center is pretty modern. The Health Center has an office, med room, private kitchen, isolation room, large infirmary room and two private rooms for the nurses and their families. It is a regular mattress for the nurse but bunk beds for his/her children. There is wireless internet and a telephone line in the Health Center. I am the person responsible for supplies so we are very well stocked!!!!
We have one nurse of day camp and one nurse for overnight camp. The camper numbers vary.....Day camp can have about 225 and Overnight can have about 120. Not all the campers are on regular scheduled meds so med pass time is not too extensive. For the past 3 summers, our health center has not been swamped with kids,,,,,there has been a sporadic flow of kids in for basic first aid and minor complaints. Had to send a few kids to the ER for orthopedic injuries.
One nurse for a day camp of 225 kids sounds like a lot of work to me, but if they're going home at night maybe it's a completely different than if they are overnight campers. Do the nurses stay for a week or a month or the whole season? That makes a difference as well. I can do anything for a week, but a month or two is different. That pay is pretty good---the highest I've heard of---is this a camp for disabled kids? How long do you stay? What is the name of your camp?
225 does sound like alot. But it makes a world of difference that they go home at night. Day campers usually come in with scrapes and tummy aches. There were very few day campers that take regularly scheduled meds (maybe 10). The Day Camp Nurse position is comparable to a School Nurse.
Ideally, we would like to have the same nurses for the summer (10 weeks) but it can be negiotated if we have someone else that wants to do the other portion of the summer.
The day and overnight camps are for typically developed kids. I am the only nurse that covers the camp for developmental disabled campers. I personally stay on camp for 12 weeks to cover orientation and camp set up. I work for Camp Red Leaf which is a part of Camp Henry Horner. Our most up to date (still under construction) website is located at www.henryhornercamp.com
wearingmanyhats, RN
140 Posts
I was fortunate enough to be hired by our local school district to be the nurse (LPN) for the 3 weeks that the 6th graders attend. Mon-Fri, free meals (beautiful Health room, separate room for me("hotel style", private shower, use of a kitchen)
I was paid in excess of $1500/week..... about 100 kids and 25 staff members for me to care for.
I can't wait to do it again this year....
AnnieNHRN
101 Posts
I worked at a boys camp in Maine for 7 1/2 weeks. My 3 boys went for free and I was paid $400 per week. As an med/surg nurse I normally earn over $1000 per week. But if you consider what child care and food for 3 (very hungry) boys would have cost me for the summer... this was a great deal! And my boys had a summer to remember for the rest of their lives!