ACN Camp Health Symposium
Join us for the annual ACN Camp Health Symposium! This virtual event features exceptional speakers addressing some of the pressing issues in Camp Health.
January 27-28, 2022
Keynote Speaker: Dr. Deborah Gilboa
The Role of the Healthcare Provider in Staff Mental Health
Staff are an integral component of camp operations. They provide an array of engagements and experiences for campers that can be life changing. However, staff themselves often need support while at camp and healthcare providers can play an important role in staff MESH. This session will outline ways that camp nurses and other healthcare providers can create space and opportunity for staff to navigate the camp experience and promote personal wellbeing.
COVID Resarch Findings
Dr. Barry Garst
In the fall of 2020 and 2021 the Association of Camp Nursing collected survey and interview data about camp health practices following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and this session highlights findings from these studies. Participants will learn how camp healthcare providers and directors successfully implemented camp while also protecting camp participants against the spread of COVID-19. Camp use of nonpharmaceutical interventions, strategies for implementing camp healthcare services, and innovations expected to become permanent will be discussed.
COVID and Camping 2022: Best Guess Considerations for Vaccination, Testing and Operations
Dr. Laura Blaisdell
Although we have no crystal ball regarding what COVID protocols will be necessary for next year’s camping season, we should be prepared for scenarios as disparate as a new variant to 100% vaccination of campers and staff. This session will discuss considerations for how camps can and should be prepared for such varied operations in the times of learning to live with COVID-19.
Finding and Hiring a Camp Nurse: Panel Discussion
Panel: D. Rubin-Baker RN JD, Lindsey Guye RN, Bev McEntarfer Camp Director, Mary Marugg RN (Moderator)
ACN understands that one of the greatest seasonal challenges is finding and hiring a camp nurse. There are many considerations when attempting to locate and identify the appropriate candidate for a camp facility. This session will outline some ideas for how to connect with potential nursing candidates and identify some key questions to ask during the interview and hiring process.
Communication Skills for More Positive Parent Relationships
Audrey Monke
Most of us work at camp because we enjoy our interactions and direct work with the campers and staff. While communicating and working with parents, especially some of the more anxious ones, may not be our favorite part of the job, it’s a necessary and important part of our role. This session will give you strategies (and even specific phrases!) to help you create and maintain more positive relationships and better communication with the parents of the campers you serve at camp.
Treating the Whole Child
Pat Torrey, CEO GutMonkey
Our campers often show up to the health center when they’re feeling sick or need first aid as we would expect. But the treatment of the physical symptoms are just a piece of the overall needs that summer camp medical staff need to attend to when supporting a camper. During this session Pat Torrey will present many of the ways that medical staff can ‘campify’ their approach when interacting and treating campers, to not only align with the values of the camp experience, but to also increase their effectiveness at delivering quality care.
Camp Health Hot Topics
Tracey Gaslin PhD, CPNP, FNP-BC, CRNI, RN-BC
The Association of Camp Nursing (ACN) operates a summer health hotline to assist camps with pressing health needs. These needs may range from illness to injury to psychosocial needs for campers and staff. This session will outline some of the most frequent calls received during the camp season and provide insight about how to potentially prepare for and/or manage these situations at your camp.
What you’ve been waiting for!
