Camp Nursing:
A Creative Way to Engage Students
Purpose of the Project

Describe the use of a
camp nursing
experience to
increase student
engagement in
community settings
and improve
knowledge of
pediatric nursing
Background

Pediatric experience
is valuable in entry
level practice and
necessary for
NCLEX success

Pediatric clinical
sites are often limited
with many programs
competing for
placements

Students often
complete clinical
experiences at sites
focusing on Well
Child Care and/or
minor acute illnesses
and may not see
children with chronic
health issues or
complex disease
processes
Sites for WKU BSN Pediatric
Clinicals

Physicians Offices
◦ Observation of providers and nurses
◦ Learning about well child and acute illness
care

Schools
◦ Learning about school health issues and
school nurse role
◦ Communication with children
◦ Hearing and vision screenings
Sites for WKU BSN Pediatric
Clinicals

WKU Clinical Education Complex/Big Red
School
◦ Learning about early childhood development and
role of interdisciplinary team
◦ Observe education and interact with children
with autism, Down Syndrome, ADHD, cerebral
palsy, etc.

Commission for Children with Special
Health Care Needs (CCSHN)
◦ Attend various clinics such as Neurology,
Cardiology, etc.
◦ Observe providers and nurses and interact with
patients
Sites for WKU BSN Pediatric
Clinicals

Medical Center at Bowling Green
◦ Provide direct care for children with acute
illnesses such as RSV, Influenza, Dehydration,
etc
◦ Most seriously ill children in our area are
cared for at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital in
Nashville or Kosair’s in Louisville

Tour of Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital
Why Add A Camp Nursing Course?
Fulfill an elective
requirement
(3 hours)
 Provide an
opportunity for
those with interest in
pediatric nursing to
have an intensive
clinical experience
with medially fragile
children

Our Community Partner
The Center for
Courageous Kids in
Scottsville, Kentucky
 Founded in 2004 by
Elizabeth Turner
Campbell
 First children served
in 2008
 Serves ? Children
yearly

What is CCK?

“We are a world class
medical camping
facility providing free
and memorable
camping experiences
for children with life
threatening diseases
and disabilities.”
(Center for
Courageous Kids.org,
2011)
Medical Care at CCK
Full time medical director
 Staff Nurse
 Volunteer Physicians, Nurses, RTs, PTs,
and others to staff summer and weekend
family retreats

Illness Groups Served


SUMMER SESSIONS
(AGE 7-15)
· Severe Asthma
· Cancer
· Epilepsy
· Heart Disease
· Kidney Disease
· Spina Bifida
· Hemophilia
· HIV Positive
· Juvenile Arthritis
· Sickle Cell
*others, to be determined
Center for Courageous Kids.org, 2011

Fall and Spring Family
Weekends Serve Summer Illness
Groups PLUS:
*Children on Ventilators
*Craniofacial Abnormalities
*Diabetes
*Down Syndrome
*IBD
*Cerebral Palsy
* Muscular Dystrophy
*Severe Food Allergy
*Development Disability as it
pertains to the illness groups
served.
Our Camp Nursing Course
Nursing 369-Special Topics in
Nursing/Camp Nursing
 3 hours credit/fulfills nursing elective
requirement in our curriculum
 Faculty –Dawn Garrett Wright & Deanna
Hanson

Our Camp Nursing Course

Course Description
◦ This course is an introduction to camp nursing.
Students will explore the care of healthy and/or
medically fragile children within the context of
family and community. The course will require
the student to work on health education projects,
be proficient in general nursing skills, and will
have reflective pieces including a personal
journal. The course will involve direct care of
children so the student should be at the senior
level (entering Nursing 431 and 444) or have an
Associate Degree in Nursing. Others students may
be considered based on space available and with
instructor permission.
Our Course Objectives





Course Objectives: At the completion of this course the
student will be able to:
Integrate knowledge from other disciplines as it relates
to the care of children in a camp setting.
Utilize the nursing process to provide care to healthy
and/or medically fragile children in a camp setting.
Demonstrate leadership skills in designing/managing
holistic are of children in a camp setting.
Identify nursing research findings to support
interventions used in the care of children.
Our Course Objectives



Analyze the roles of the therapeutic team in meeting
the diverse health and recreational needs of healthy
and/or medically fragile children.
Utilize effective communication skills to collaborate
with children, families, professionals, and
unlicensed assistive personnel in the care of
children in a camp setting.
Practice responsible safe and ethical nursing care
that promotes the health of healthy children or
children with acute/chronic illnesses in community
settings such as a summer camp.
Evaluation Methods
Attendance and Full Participation in
Camp – includes full-day orientation, daily
conferences, debriefing
lunch/postconference (175 pts)
 Daily Reflections/ Journal for Faculty
(75 pts)
 Education Presentation for Camp Staff
(50 pts)
_____________________
Total
300 pts

What Does
Participation
Mean at
CCK?
Education Projects

The student’s presentation for camp staff is to be brief
(less than 5 minutes) and should address the following:
◦ What is the illness/condition ?(very basic
pathophysiology)
◦ What symptoms or manifestations might the
counselor/staff member see?
◦ What are the common treatments for the
illness/condition?
◦ How can the counselor/staff member help the camper
have the best experience within the context of this
illness/condition?
◦ Provide some type of visual to help the counselors and
staff members remember what you taught ?
Reflective Journal Questions
Student Reflections –
Expectations

“I’m a little nervous about
working with children, as I
don’t really have any
experience with kids,
except for the occasional
babysitting job, and
especially not with
chronically ill children. I
took this course to get a
unique experience that I
likely will not get in any
other nursing elective, and
to hopefully help make a
difference in a child’s life
(who will probably in turn
make a difference in my
life).”

“When I start to prepare for
camp, I get a little nervous
that maybe I’m not ready to
care for these kids the way
they may need me. What if I
say the wrong thing and scare
a kid about a procedure? I
think of myself as being a
good person with children I
love being around them, saying
that, I’ve never been around a
lot of kids with major health
disorders. I am looking
forward to meeting the kids
as well as using and expanding
my nursing skills. “
Student Reflections
Jumping in

“Passing out medications
today and providing some
minor first aid after the messy
games also made me feel
more responsible. My
confidence on whether I will
someday become the nurse I
want to be is not fully there,
and by being able to pass out
medications to every child
successfully and time
efficiently, as well as patching
up minor abrasions as a result
of messy games, I felt more in
control. “

“I have learned today already
that it is very important to be
organized, especially with the
campers’ medications. We are
responsible for passing out
their medications at breakfast,
lunch, dinner, and bedtime.
With so many campers I think
that things can get very busy
sometimes, and it proved to
be so! I think that I have
already become more
responsible, as well as the
other nursing students who
were working with me. I
could just see an
improvement with everyone
and how they stepped up to
get the job done. “
Student Reflections
Whole lotta learnin’ going on

“I feel like I have learned so
much already about this class
coming up[Nursing Care of
Women, Infants, and
Children]. I loved learning
everything. I felt like I
absorbed everything like a
sponge; even when I was
exhausted! I plan to take what
I have learned at camp and
maybe help out classmates
who might not understand
something. I’m hoping I might
have a real experience that I
can share with them to help
them better understand.”

“I realized the importance of
teamwork this week, as none
of this would be possible
without the help of every staff
member and every volunteer.
I also learned so much about
patient education and how
crucial it is in every patient’s
treatment. One thing I haven’t
mentioned yet is the cultural
diversity at camp. There were
many different races and
cultures represented by our
campers this week, and it
really gave me some insight
into their values and
lifestyles.”
Student Reflections
more learning…

“CCK changed the
way I look at
healthcare. I did not
really realize how
much medications cost
and some of these
families are probably
barely getting by
because they are
paying thousands of
dollars each month to
keep their child alive
and safe. “

“The real life scenarios
are much harder to
deal with simply
because the person
you are treating is no
longer just a patient
defined by the disease;
they are real people
who require a holistic
approach to nursing.”
Student Reflections
Building relationships

“When they had the pats
on the back today some
of the girls from my
group got up there and
thanked the nurses for
taking care of them this
week. That too melted
my heart. I knew then
that we had succeeded
in touching these
children this week.”

“I believe I learned how
to be more patient and
take the time to know
each individual because
they are people not just
a sick person in room
101. This is somebody’s
family member and I am
going to treat them just
like they are my own. I
will carry out this
through the rest of my
life.”
Student Reflections
Putting it into practice

“In my future nursing career I
will take from this week and
put into my practice several
things like: passion,
understanding, the ability to
be patient, remembering that
the focus is on the patient
and NOT myself, being
friendly when needed but
stern when needed as well…
there are so many things I
could continue listing, but the
main concept I will take from
this experience is to love and
care for all.”
This past week has changed
my life forever no doubt. I
have a special place in my
heart for each of the blue
lodge boys. I have a much
better understanding for
each of the disorders that
were present at camp. I
think it will be a huge help
as I start OB and pediatrics
this next semester.
 All in all, this was one of the
best weeks of my life. I
learned so much about
nursing, pediatrics, and
myself.

Benefits

For Students
◦ Improved pediatric
communication skills and
understanding of childhood
development
◦ Exposure to a wide variety
of illness groups
◦ Practicing and learning new
skills
◦ Work with interdisciplinary
team
◦ Development of
professional contacts and
relationships
◦ FUN!!!

For Faculty
◦ Building a partnership with
a unique community
partner
◦ Development of
professional contacts and
relationships
◦ Providing an outlet for
faculty practice and
community service
◦ Increased knowledge of
management of chronic
health conditions in a
unique population
◦ FUN!!!
Challenges

Selection of students

Development of orientation program

Coordination with camp medical staff

Emotional impact of experience on
students and faculty
Future plans
Continue the course
each summer
 Expanding number of
sections offered
 Publish findings
