Rules in the Health Center and Around Camp

[campmonkey]

Alright, this is my last thread today! Seems I am on a roll, I can't wait for summer :)

I am looking to set a few simple rules in the health center and suggest a couple of health rules around camp and would love to have some imput on it.

Our health center is always open and everyone is used to just coming in and doing as they please! When I used to work as a camp counsellor, our camp infirmary had a few set rules that I liked. We took our shoes off at the door, a staff member always had to come in with the camper and voices had to be kept low. Only one camper was allowed in the nurse's office at a time. No one was allowed in the sick room (room with all the beds for the kids who had to stay), except when they were allowed to do so by the nurse. At the camp where I work now, everyone keeps there shoes one which made for horribly messy floors with all the rain we had this summer, talks has if they were still outside, campers are encouraged to come alone or with friends (yup, not just one of them!) and chaos can quickly build up if I'm not paying attention to the waiting hall, which means I have to keep my door wide open! Kids are always trying to come in together in my office which I only allow when they are friends and both need something and are willing to be seen together. The problem is the people who replace me will let 3-4 of them in at the same time!!! Everyone also feels like they can use the bathroom, which I do not allow but can't always manage in rush-hour and feel like they can go visit their friends in the sick room at any time. That last one really gets to me as I want this room to remain quiet and it serves as an isolation room for feverish campers. Our doctor, who by the way, wrote our isolation protocol, took a picture of one of my sickest kids surrounded by friends in that room while I was off. I was boiling when I saw that picture especially since half the cabin came down ith the same thing in the following days.

So here are a couple ideas I want to glue to the wall this summer and make clear to counsellors before the summer begins. I would love to hear you rules :)

1. No shoes allowed! We have a nice porch where they can be left.

2. Inside voices only.

3. You may bring ONE friend, they will be sent away if too many people are in the waiting area :) (Do your campers come with staff members?)

4. The bathroom may only be used by sick kids and health center staff.

5. Consult with health center staff before entering sick room.

I would also love to hear what general rules your camp uses to keep campers safe around camp. More specifically, what are your camp guidelines regarding:

1. Footwear

2. Water/Hydration

3. Sun protection

4. Handwashing

5. Etc.

Thank you so much!

[TheSquire, DNP, APRN, NP]

The problem with coming alone or with only one friend is that it does horrible things to the buddy system, which (at least at Boy Scout camps) is one of the policies camps have to reduce the incidence and danger of having lost campers. If your camp is small and easily searchable, that's one thing, but if the campers have to hike to the health center this could be a major issue.

[teeniebert, LPN]

Only one camper inside the health center at a time--buddies wait on the porch.

[Erikadawn RN]

We had sick call after breakfast and dinner. Of course emergencies were always welcome. Med pass was after breakfast, lunch, and bedtime. If the door was shut you could not enter until we let you in, my bed room was in the health center. It did get chaotic but I set ground rules, and us nurses stuck to them.

[Neveranurseagain, RN]

I also briefly go over the infirmary rules during camper orientation to ensue the counselor would also remember them.

[smiley321]

My rules in our health centre are similiar to yours:

- Please leave your shoes at the door (a doormat inside the door serves as a reminder if they forgot to take them off outside)

- Knock first before entering

- They need to come with either a staff member or a buddy - campers never go anywhere alone as someone mentioned above, the buddy system helps to reduce the amount of missing campers

- Counsellors should be the first line basic first aiders for stomach aches, small scrapes, etc. and then coming to the wellness centre if the problem persists or its a large scrape, potential sprain or fracture, etc.

- I don't have an office, the treatment room is one big room and sick rooms are down a hallway. Campers need to wait outside in a line at the bottom of the porch stairs

- One camper at a time (staff may enter whenever as they have less time, and I tell them if they need to wait outside when it's too busy)

For footwear: it needs to be worn all the time, everywhere, except inside buildings. Closed toed shoes need to be worn for the climbing tower, high ropes course, and on the flat (a metal court nicknamed the 'cheesegrater' as the scrapes you receive from falling on it look similar to what you would receive from a cheesegrater)

Hydration: water stations are set up at the wellness centre, dining hall, and throughout camp. Staff know that most headaches and tummy aches are cured with water and are very good at keeping kids hydrated.

Handwashing: how-to posters are set up int he bathrooms and encouraged before and after meals, after petting the animals, and after going to the bathoroom. Hand sanitizer is at the door of the dining hall and is supposed to be used before entering.

[CampNurse1]

I never allow a camper or a staff member to be seen without another staff member as a chaperone. This protects everyone in the event of inappropriate behavior.

I insist on quiet in the health center at all times, even if it is "empty." One of my nurses might be in her apartment taking a nap. I had an artful nurse make us some beautiful posters to that effect.

Our campers know they won't be seen unless both of us do good hand hygiene.

EVERY visit gets logged. More involved stuff gets a proper narrative note.

We try not to let our campers be barefoot any where, even in the cabins. Closed toe shoes are the rule, with Keens and Chacos being the most popular last summer.