MakeLemonadeRN

Found this old post..... I had a good first taste of camp nursing this Summer and loved that my 2 daughters could come with. But, I am looking for another camp in PA for next Summer and would appreciate any recommendations. Prefer large camp, co-ED, MD on site and circus would be a big bonus for my girls. I come with a lot of ER experience pediatric and adult and love working with kids!

Thank you so much for the reply. Don’t get me wrong I’ve had a great Summer and so have my kiddos. I am just wondering if this is how it is everywhere…..If the challenges are just all across-the-board the same such a short staffing, the food, quality of facilities, some staff struggling with morale given the long days and staffing challenges. This is a Summer camp only, coed ages 7-16 on a lake and this year we have 600 kids, the highest enrollment in several years. I wish we had those breakfast options that sounds great! We do have a small fridge in our infirmary and we keep a few things there as well as snacks in our rooms. I’m also thinking from the kids perspective, it’s pretty tough. Funny enough the chef just approached me and another nurse and ask what they can do to improve the food! ? Like I said, I’m real curious how other camp experiences have been this Summer

GOOD advice! Thank you! Will do

I am currently at my camp for my first camp nurse job. There is so much I like about the camp...the variety of activities for the kids (my 2 kids re with me), how beautiful it is, and I am super lucky to have a great team in the infirmary BUT day 2 our infirmary director quit and left with her 2 family members who also helped us out so we are short staffed and working longer hours and no help until I leave in another week. I am curious what is normal or not for camp life. For example, I know we are camping and in nature, great...I love that BUT when I arrived it looked like my room had not been cleaned since the past Summer. I had to clean out quite a bit of mouse poop, sweep the floors and dust and everything off. It's not exactly what I imagined when I arrived late at night after a cross country flight. The place (everywhere, the cabins and activity areas for example) just seems like it is not being maintained well or updated. The food is almost all carbs, little protein, the daily salad is iceberg lettuce with a few cucumber slices and tomatoes and dressing. I was by no means expecting the Ritz and a gourmet kitchen but it seems that the place is pretty run down and not kept up and the food is sad especially for the amount of tuition these families are paying. What have been others experiences? Is this just how it is?

First year as camp nurse. Enjoying it very much! I will say I and my other coworkers here are quite surprised to see how many kids are having behavioral issues (anxiety attacks, self harm, tearfulness). I am curious how much of this has to do with post COVID lock up and isolation. A year of isolation and lock up and now lots of freedom, away from home and in a large camp with hundreds of kids