Information on working w medical staff at festival events

[KittyRocks]

Hello!

First, hi everyone - I am new here My sister (also an RN) got tired of all my questions so she sent me here! I am not yet a nurse, but I am going to back to school this fall to become one! So I am pondering all sorts of possible post school scenerios.

One thing I am wondering about now. I travel all over on the weekends in the summer going to various music festivals, where you camp out for the weekend. I am wondering about the possibility of working (even just on a volunteer level) at these festivals once i get my license.

has anyone worked such festivals? do they usually employ nurses, or mostly emts maybe? do they get paid, or do they just get free entry and other perks?

thanks!

[TazziRN, RN]

Around here the first aid booths at events are manned by employees from a certain organization or two: sometimes it's a hospital or clinic, sometimes it's a home health agency, etc. It's volunteer, usually.

[Altra, BSN, RN]

In my area if an event is large enough they usually contract with local EMS to provide onsite first aid/transport to a medical facility. Same goes for permanent concert sites - arenas, fairgrounds, etc.

Smaller gatherings often have just a designated member of the sponsoring organization with the "first aid kit."

If this is your interest I suspect you'll want to pursue EMT or paramedic education - these would probably be more helpful for what you're describing. You might think about camp nursing though -- see the Camp Nursing forum.

Good luck to you ... hope you're able to continue your summer festival-going on an every-other-weekend basis once you're working as an RN. :)

[TrudyRN]

The Red Cross often staffs these events. Volunteer work unless the Red Cross is your employer.

I turned down a chance to volunteer when Prez. Clinton came to town. Too much hassle. I would not have gotten to see him, would have been hassled by Secret Service (they check EVERYBODY), had already been through an event with a previous President and hated it - very restricted movement for attendees, couldn't bring in a purse, lots and lots of serious security measures. If I were younger, it would have been different maybe, exciting.

I hope you get good advice here and wish you luck with your chosen career.