What types of questions to ask during an Interview?

Neveranurseagain, RN · Apr 11, 2009

How many campers are there and how many nurses will you be working with? If you are the only one and get sick, who will cover? What day of the week will you have off? Know your states labor laws as they pertain to camps.

Is there a washer/dryer available for you to use? One camp I know of (great camp too!) does not allow access to W/D and it's 20 mins to town.

What is the policy for getting up at night with campers? This is important because if you are are all night with kids vomiting, who will cover the next day?

Is there a camp mom or someone assigned to homesick kids? It's difficult when you have a homesick camper sobbing in the corner all day when you have sick kids--then everyone is homesick. IMO homesick kids do not belong in the infirmary...that being said I will try my best to reassure homesick kids and get them active in camp but if busy or a chronic problem, someone else needs to handle them.

Know the state regulations on camp--by knowing them you can be sure the camp is in compliance.

lilmisslady · Jul 13, 2009

I am a new grad going for my first interview what questions should I be prepared to ask, but even more importantly what questions should I ask them?...

HarStarr · Feb 26, 2011

I'm a (not so) new grad who just got hired for a camp nurse position in PA. I'd like to know how your 1st camp experience was & have you/are you planning on going back?

marybethm · Apr 18, 2011

You'll want to know how they work the staffing, how many nurses there are. What happens when a camper has to be taken to the ER or for a doctor appt. Who takes them and in what vehicle. When is your time off? Who orders the supplies? Do you have a fridge? Where do sick campers sleep? Do they have standing orders?

CampNurse1 · Nov 28, 2011

I've worked at three camps, and work year round at the one I am at now. Here are some questions to ask:

How many campers per session? How many nurses? Do you have any ancillary personnel, such as EMTs or Nurse's Aides?

Once you know the above, ask how many beds are in the infirmary. This gives you a good idea of the camp culture regarding wellness. If there are a lot of beds, it means lots of campers in the health center is normal. I worked at a camp with 17 health center beds for a census of 100. Sure enough, some came off the bus from the airport straight to the health center. We took care of all nighters all summer, and it wore me out! The health center I currently manage has 4 beds for a census of 100. We practice on the wellness model here. Illness and injury are not considered normal here, and we work hard on preventing the next case when something does happen. So, too many beds is a red flag.

If you are not the only nurse, who is the head nurse? One Camp Director told me he was the head nurse! If you are flying solo, how much autonomy do you have? Who does your schedule? If solo, how much down time do you get? I was so busy working solo my first summer, I managed to get in the pool twice in 6 weeks. That was all the recreation I managed!

How do you do your med passes? Do you repackage meds? In some states, that may be illegal. How do you handle staff meds?

How much malpractice insurance, if any, do they carry?

How do they do check-ins? How much time do you have to process how many campers?

Who handles behavioral problems, nursing or other staff? While there are nursing interventions for home sickness or other behaviorals, it can eat you up if these campers are routinely dropped off at the infirmary. If nursing is responsible for behavioral issues, red flag.

How much time will they give you for orientation? Will you have enough time to review health records, prepare MARs, inventory and stock the health center, etc.? Too little time for the tasks you need to do would be a red flag.

Will they pay for your out-of-state license, if needed, or your travel? If not, red flag.

How available is the Medical Director? Are the standing orders current? Do they exist? If no standing orders, or the CD will not give you contact info for the Medical Director, red flag.

What is the policy for not admitting a camper, or sending a sick camper home? You might be surprised to find that nursing has little or no say on this issue at some camps. There is a post in this forum about a camper that had an ORIF on her tibia on Saturday and was back at camp (in the infirmary, of course) on Sunday. That one left me scratching my head, lol!

Is the camp for-profit or not-for-profit? Every camp has its own unique culture. Personally, I do not prefer for- profit camps, but that's up to you.

How much time does the Camp Director have for you during the application process? At the very least, you should get an hour's worth of phone time, so you both can ask questions and get to know each other a little. How quickly does the CD return your phone calls or emails/texts? How much time the CD has for you is an indication of how important nursing is at that camp. Or maybe she is just plain unorganized. Either way, if the CD is unavailable, BIG RED FLAG.

Tour the camp before you are hired if at all possible! This gives you time to get to know the CD, check the infirmary, your living quarters (if lucky you get a house!), and the camp in general. If it is a big camp, how do you get around (I use a Gator, funnnnn!). How do you transport campers? Pay attention to the upkeep and appearance of the place. If the place is a dump, run! There is plenty of time during the off-season for upkeep, even on a limited budget. Look for hand hygiene stations.

How does the camp handle sexual harassment?

What kind of internet access is there? It is mighty handy for looking up drugs and illnesses.

If you were told anything during the interview that was "inaccurate," and you find out later that it wasn't so, seriously, do not take the job. It is safe to predict future behavior by past behavior. I had one CD that lied as easily as he breathed; I was miserable. I did notice an untruth during the interview, and I ignored it.

IMO, if there are two or three red flags, do not take the job. While no place is perfect (actually, the one I work at now is!), see if you can pick up patterns during your research. There are hundreds of wonderful camps, and most of them need nurses this summer, so saying "No, thanks" to one of them is okay. Take advantage of the nursing shortage and take the time to find a good fit. Good luck, and contact me if I can help.