dolorestrujillo

The camps that have the sick children can be a challenge. I know some of the nurses that volunteer at these camps come home emotionally weary, but with many good memories. But for some of these camps, the nurses that volunteer are the only way that they can have medical help available, and use the financial resources to run the camp. For some of these children, these camps are highly anticipated year round. You can use the volunteer time on a resume, if applying for a management or specialist job in nursing. The camp nursing experience is definitely an 'icebreaker' when this is mentioned in job interviews. I would suggest trying a family camp with just activities, not with a specialized 'chronic condition'. It may give you a different perspective on camp nursing. Good luck.:wink2:

Hi, my name is Dolores Trujillo. I work at Kaiser Sacramento as a charge nurse in the ICU for the last 5 years, 1.5 of those years in management. I have volunteered for Camp Sacramento 2 years in a row, and getting ready to head up for a third year. This camp is run by Parks and Recreation of Sacramento. There are nurses quarters for my family, great food and recreation for my three children. We are approximately 4000 ft. in altitude, so I do encounter nose bleeds, bug bites and scraped knees from falls. I also dispense over the counter drugs for the adults and sick children. My kids absolutely love going up to this camp, and look forward to it every year. I do not get paid for this week, but it more than makes up for the money. The camp staff are wonderful and accomodating to my family. I am on a standing list, so they contact me in December, and paperwork is in by January. I also catch up on reading that I was not able to do most of the year. This is a great idea, so keep the information posted. I am curious to see how different other camp nurses experiences are:jester: Dolores

I started out by being referred by a nurse I worked with who could not fulfill her commitment. Check with the parks and recreations in your area, and also with different camps that do summer camps in your area. Usually if you volunteer in small one week increments you can decide whether you like the camp or not. Check and see if families are also invited (usually immediate family members) and see what amenities are offered.

I have volunteered as a camp nurse for one week assignments in Northern California for the last 2 years. I take my whole family and stay in nurses quarters that are provided. My children are now 17, 14, and 12, and they look forward to the week at Camp Sacramento. This camp is run by Parks and Recreation. Everything is free, the food is wonderful, and the weather is cooler that time of year, in comparison to the city of Sacramento which can range up to 100 degrees. I have my own time slot every year and they usually contact me in January. I have to update my application and submit licenses. My children literally 'take off' as soon as we get up to the mountains to the different age groups provided. This year, I have another camp contacting me for help, and I will help them out in August for one week. It is a teen camp and it will give my children an opportunity to go up to the mountains again (free!) and take part in camp activities. It is also a vacation for them that you do not need to spend a large amount of money on.:yelclap: