volunteer at camp

[ceddavis1228]

I was asked to volunteer at a local camp for 3 days. The nurse that usually volunteers is unavailable and one of the leaders in charge asked if I would be willing to come and help them out. My only problem is I just graduated in May with my ADN and have not taken my NCLEX yet. I just wondered if this would be legal for me to do without actually being licensed. I am located in Ohio and I tried to read up on the BON about it but had a hard time finding any information on this. Of course, I am aware that I could not represent to the campers, parents, etc that I am a RN. Any advice on this would be appreciated. I just dont want to do something to mess up my license before I even get a chance to get them.

[amoLucia]

Personally, and I say this again, personally, I WOULDN'T do it myself.

They want a NURSE and that's NOT you (yet). Regardless of what they may tell you, the chance is very real that there COULD BE an incident that will require nursing intervention and you will most likely be called upon to assist.

We're talking first aid in an impromptu environment which requires good assessment skills. And as the highest trained person in the group, you will be held to those high standards. And you're NOT INSURED.

Most likely, nothing will happen. But I wouldn't risk it. Maybe if there were another experienced nurse present, it could be an interesting experience. But it's not like you'd be enjoying the fun times.

You are very correct to be concerned about your role here. ALWAYS listen to that little voice inside you that alarms. If they have to have a nurse, they can try an agency, but you're not one yet, so protect yourself.

PS - Congrats about finishing school and good luck for NCLEX.

[Alex Egan, LPN, EMT-B]

Hi there.

A lot of camps, especially short stay ones get away with not using nurses but instead use "health officers" or whatever term they use. Your are correct that you can't represent yourself as a nurse, but so long as the camps forms include language for medications and first aid to be given by designated staff, and not a nurse specifically you would be OK legally to function in that capacity.

There are a few small modifications to practice as a "health officer" as opposed to being a nurse.

Firstly health officers do not administer meds, they supervise campers taking meds. This involves handing the med bottle to the child, and assuring take the correct number of pills and actually swallow them. Also generally health officers do not assess or use judgment. They may only minister treatments and first aid as directed by the camp doctor, delegates to them by a RN, or under the scope of their first aid certification. This is unless the camp forms of specific language that allow specific PRN medications to be administered by "designated staff"

Did you check out the camp nurse forum under specialties? This thread will probably end up being moved there at some point by the mods anyhow.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

Moved to our Camp Nursing forum for more replies.

[BonnieSc]

Agreed with everything Alex said. As long as no one thinks you're an RN, this is a fairly common situation. Don't give any injections. In my experience at camps for the general population, there aren't many injections to give; but a couple of times they've come up, and I actually had non-nursing members of staff do the injections (allowed in that state when trained by the parents, a nurse, or a doctor). In both cases we had staff who had had to give subq shots to family members before and were comfortable with it. But again, that situation is unlikely to come up.

Our regular camp staff were often the ones to supervise medications on out-of-camp trips, so it's already not strictly a nursing duty.