Niamah

I worked at a small camp called the Global Youth Village (around 25 staff / 60-70 kids). When I was not busy at the infirmary, I helped in the kitchen (I love to cook), in the gardens, worked with the kids in the art studio, or helped plan an evening event. Each day was different, and there was lots of flexibility for me to plug in to different activities depending on how busy things were with the kids or staff health wise...

Even though they are not permanent jobs - check out a nursing job with a summer camp. It at least shows you are practicing and actively working, while looks much better when you are out there looking for a permanent position. Check out the Association for Camp Nurses for a listing of jobs. There are lots of them! I worked at the Global Youth Village for a number of summers, it was a great place as well (in Virginia). I think they are still seeking someone for this year.

I worked as a camp nurse for a number of years with the Global Youth Village. They cater specifically to teens, 13-18. Although the pay was not as great as you would get from other camps, it was a great place to work and the administrative staff pay a lot of attention to safety. (I don't have any children, so I can cannot comment about the youth experience from a parent's perspective.)There are back up nurses around (volunteers who live near by), so you can get some down time away from camp, and the MD who backs up the nurse is just a 10 minute drive away and a great doc to work with.

yes, I do: the place I have worked at before -- the Global Youth Village. They hire a "health care manager" each summer, which is a position for someone who is not licensed yet, but w/ current 1st aid & CPR. This person handles most of the average, day-to-day needs, w/ an RN checking in each day as needed, or on call for the more complex stuff. You get a lot of hands on experience and learn a lot. It is in Virginia. Good luck finding a place. Camp nursing is great! .

that's too bad it happened to you. I worked at an ACA accredited camp, the Global Youth Village, got a day off each 7-9 days... and if I was up all night taking care of someone who was in an accident or got really sick, they would find some coverage for me so I could catch up on sleep. Their admin's approach was to take care of the staff, so they could take better care of the young people. But they also expected a lot from the staff, as all camps do!

The Global Youth Village in Virginia hires student nurses or new grads, and I think they are still hiring for this summer. No special needs focus, but they work with a lot of teens from around the world, so you get some exposure to some unusual health conditions you may not normally see here in the US... like malaria and other tropic diseases. Thus year they are hosting youth delegations form Indonesia and Iraq. I worked with them for a couple of summers and really enjoyed it! Get to be involved in other activities aside from nursing care, depending on where your interests and talents are.

Nurses do love sharing these kind of stores, don't we! I worked for few years at a camp that had a large int'l pop (Global Youth Village) -- all teens, some sports but not a huge emphasis on this or adventure related activities, so most of what I saw was pretty minor - bug bites, colds, sore throats, homesickness, mild allergies... BUT there were definitely some wild days as well: ana rxns to bug bites, asthma problems, usually saw a case or two of malaria each summer, an occasional fracture; had one staff person fall while holding a glass - severed his artery in his wrist (ugh); had another staff member get distracted while using a commercial food processor in the kitchen and she cut off the top of one of her fingers... never know what will happen!

Good places to look are the American Camp Assoc web site or the Assoc for Camp Nurses web site. I have also worked for the Global Youth Village before, but I think the youngest age for children to attend is 14. Great camp to work for though.... about 50% of teens are from other countries, and interestingly enough, tend not to be on so many RX meds, but have the additional chanllenges (which I liked), of having to factor in possible conidtions not normally seen here in US (i.e malaria). Be sure to look for an ACA accredited camp - their safety / risk management standards will be more of a sure think then a non-accredited camp. Good luck! Have fun this summer... (can't wait till it warms up!)

Check out camp nursing - always a need out there. Get to be in nature. Room and board taken care of. Lots of other things to get involved in when not care for sick or injured.... I know Global Youth Village is hiring. Have worked there in the past and loved it.

Check out the summer camp staff options at the Global Youth Village. They offer homeopathy as a treatment option along with allopathic treatment choices. Don't have to be licensed. (But it is also great if you are!) Good place to get some practical experience in a community health type setting with teens and staff from around the world.

At the summer camp I have worked at in the past, the Global Youth Village, homeopathy has been offered as a treatment choice for the teens (and parent indicate this as treatment of choice.) The RN operates under standing orders from a MD/Homeopath. By the way, I think they are looking for medical staff for the summer if anyone is interested in checking them out.

I really enjoy getting to know the young people. My other career in nursing was in L & D, so I never saw people more then a day to two. At the camp I worked at, I enjoyed forming lasting friendships with some really great kids. (I was there for 5-8 weeks) Health care at camp isn't just about band aids and giving out meds (at least not at the Global Youth Village). I remember one summer where we had a young boy from Kuwait who had never been away from home, so I became a surrogate parent of sorts. Every day, at the same time, he would come by the health center for some OJ. He would teach me a little Arabic, and I would teach him a new American idiomic expression. I'll never forget him. Another summer, we had some youth from the Crow reservation. First time off the rez for most of them. One of the girls developed some strange symptoms and it was a real challenge (in a good way) to find what she needed, as her view of her health was so tied into her religious views. Consulted with her family who had a native healer in the family and the other youth did a simple sage buring ritual to help her, and all was well. So many stories! Every summer is different!

The Global Youth Village hires student nurses. And still has an opening. We operate with a team of volunteer RNs who live in the local area who provide the coverage needed to supervise student nurses, who do most of the day to day first aid and tend to the majority of needs that arise. Lots of teens from all over the world, so its an interesting place to work and hone one's cross cultural communication skills! (in south-central Virgina though - not Ohio! Can drive here in a day.)

some camps are still hiring, even though it is Feb now. I know one international youth camp in Virginia that is.