I worked on call for Hospice and full-time as a per diem visiting nurse, enabling me to save enough to pay the bills during the summer while we were away. I didn't carry a case load so I was able to take a leave of absence for two months every summer. We packed up the house and off we went. Each situation requires individual assessment and response. The relaxed and informal camp atmosphere does not reflect the level of nursing care needed.
Parents entrust the care of their children to the camp staff and management.
They rightly expect the nurse to dispense medications as prescribed and to follow up on health issues. On one occasion, the boys set a tennis ball on fire and tossed it around a circle, an episode that is always brought up during new counselor orientation as a classic scenario of potential disaster. Thankfully, no injuries resulted from that creative prank. But there is probably nothing more contagious than a perceived need for an Ace bandage worn as a badge of athletic honor. Take Sam, a child who arrived at camp with an upper respiratory infection.