Nurses Corner
Meet the Nurses
Camp Woodstock is staffed 24 hours a day by an RN. These are the women who will be caring for your child’s health care needs:
Renee Gaucher RN, CEN, CPEN
Renee works part time, year round as an emergency room nurse. She carries certifications in emergency nursing and pediatric emergency nursing. This is her 20th summer as our camp nurse. She works 5 days a week here in our infirmary. In addition to caring for your child, she trains our staff in CPR and First Aid. She makes her home right here at Camp Woodstock.
Claire LaMonica RN, CEN, CPEN
Claire is another veteran. This is her 15th summer at Camp Woodstock. Like Renee, she is certified in both emergency nursing and pediatric emergency nursing. She works during every check-in and covers the infirmary one day per week.
Karen Trant RN, CEN
We are happy to welcome Karen back for her second summer. She is yet another certified emergency nurse who works part time as an emergency room nurse and part time as a school nurse. She, like Claire, will be at camp for every check in day and once each week.
As you can see, each of these nurses is well-equipped to care for your camper. Between them there are over 60 years of nursing experience in general and nearly 40 years of camp nursing. Not only are they highly qualified in their fields, they are all mothers and strive to care for your camper as they would their own children.
Check In and Health Form Information
Check In
State law requires that every camper needs to be seen by a nurse at check in--No Exceptions. Please have your camper with you when you drop off your health form with the nurse. We cannot accept health forms sent in advance--No Exceptions.
There are two nurse lines. One is for children who take no medicine and for parents who have no health care concerns. If you are simply dropping off a perfectly healthy camper, bring your child and their health form to this nurse.
The other line is for campers who have medical needs/parental concerns. This is a parent’s opportunity to drop off any medicine their camper will be taking during the session, and to make the nurses aware of any health issues they will likely address or that might arise. You must have your camper with you.
What the nurse looks for
While checking to be sure your child’s health form is in order, the nurse will also be looking at your child. We look for obvious physical conditions that may limit your child’s participation in camp such as a cast or crutches, and we look for conditions that may be contagious to others. We will not do a strand-by-strand check for head lice but we are always watching for tell tale signs such as frequent and/or two-handed head itching and will pull your child aside if suspicion exists. You will also be asked if there has been any recent illness in your household such as the flu or if your child has been sick recently.
Medication
If your camper takes medicine on a routine or as needed basis at home it’s likely that they will also be taking these medications while at camp. In order for the nurses to be able to give that medicine we need a signed order from an MD, PA or APRN and we need the medicine itself in its original container with the child’s name and medication name clearly visible. Each med needs to be in its own separately labeled container. That means no weekly reminder type pill boxes, no mixing multiple pills in one prescription bottle and no pills in a zip lock bag. If the nurses cannot clearly tell which medicine is in front of her she will not administer it.
All medicine must have a signed order from your health care provider, even if what you bring for your child is sold over the counter. This includes vitamins, herbal supplements, acne products and allergy medicine. Without a written order, the nurse cannot give your child the medicine you brought. You don’t need this order to be written on a separate piece of paper. There’s room on the health form itself for this information.
Health form
Every camper and staff member must have a health form signed by a licensed health care provider. It is perfectly OK if that doctor’s office uses their own form, or the standard state school or camp health form. We do need for each parent to fill out the emergency contact information and to sign the bottom of our health form giving permission to treat your camper. If your doctor’s office hands you a different health exam form, please just fill out the top and bottom of our form and staple the two papers together.
We cannot accept health forms sent in advance. Health forms mailed, emailed or faxed to camp before check in will be returned. No Exceptions.
If you forget to bring your camper’s health form with you, we will have forms available at the nurse’s station. We’ll simply have you give emergency contact information and sign the bottom of a blank form and then ask that you send your completed form to the camp within 24 hours. If it has not arrived by suppertime on Monday you will have to bring your camper home until their physical form is available. They cannot stay in camp without it.
If, for religious or cultural reasons, your child has not had a physical exam or been vaccinated against routine childhood diseases they can still participate in camp. We still require that you provide contact information and sign the bottom of our standard health form. Attach to our form the appropriate religious exemption documentation form signed by your spiritual leader.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What if my child gets sick at camp?
A: Whenever a camper tells their counselor they don’t feel well or shows physical signs of illness they are brought to the nurse to be assessed. The nurse has standing orders written by a local family practice physician to administer medication to help your child feel better. These are the medicines that are listed on the front of the health form. There are beds in the infirmary if it looks like your child needs to lie down for a while. Most illness at camp is short-lived and can be cured with a little rest and TLC.
Q: When can I expect to hear from the nurse?
A: In most cases your child will have a wonderful illness and injury-free session and you won’t see or hear from the nurse at all. You will be called if your child spends the night in the infirmary, if your child presents multiple times with the same medical concern, if there is a question about your child’s medicine, or if your child is sick or injured in such a way that their care exceeds the capabilities of the camp nurse.
Q: My camper told me in a letter that she didn’t feel good and no one called me. Why not?
A: Often when a child is away from home they can get a little homesick, sometimes to the point of feeling physically ill. We spend a lot of time teaching our staff how to identify and address these issues. Counselors will do whatever is within their power to keep your camper engaged in camp activity to divert their attention away from home. Usually by the time you’re reading the letter your child has written, the issue has been addressed and solved.
If your child legitimately doesn’t feel well they will be brought to the nurse. Most often it’s found that your camper is worn out. They play long and hard, most of which is done outdoors. It’s tiring business. It’s not uncommon for a camper to come to the infirmary simply needing a nap. This would not warrant a call home. Occasionally a camper will truly be ill and never tell his counselor or the nurse. For the most part, your camper and her counselor are meeting for the first time during check-in. If there is specific behavior which signals illness in your child such as always hugging his stuffed giraffe when his stomach hurts or always sneezing 3 times in a row two days before getting a sinus infection, please bring that to the counselor’s attention. We can only take care of what we know. If your camper doesn't feel well and never tells anyone, we’ll never know. Please be sure to tell your camper to let someone here know if they don’t feel well.
Q: What if my camper gets homesick?
A: Recognize that the cure for homesickness is fun and lots of it. It NEVER helps for campers to talk to their parents during camp. Just hearing your voice will make them ache for more of you. This is why we ask that you not send a cell phone with your camper, and why we confiscate any cell phones that we find. Please allow us to help your camper grow to love camp. The more active and engaged in camp activity a child is, the less they think about missing home.
Q: What can I do to prevent homesickness in my child?
A: Encourage them to look forward to fun. Tell them how excited you are for them to have this opportunity. Tell them how cool it is to meet all these new kids and how they’ll get to have a dozen new friends. Tell them what you loved about camp when you were a kid. If you never went to camp tell them that you really wanted to go. Please don’t tell them how much you’ll miss them and how lonely the house will seem without them. Please also don’t send them to camp during a time of emotional turmoil at home. Please write often, real mail. Letters from home are especially cherished but keep these happy and encouraging. Send their favorite stuffed toy or blanket. If they always sleep with Tillie the Turtle at home you can’t expect them to do without at camp. They will not be made fun of for laying their heads on a teddy bear at the end of the day. On the contrary, sometimes their stuffed critters become the unofficial cabin mascot. When in doubt, simply place their cherished blanket or toy inside their pillow case. That way it’s discreet yet available.
Q: When and how will my camper get their medicine?
A: During check-in you will turn all medicine over to the camp nurse. This is your time to tell the nurse how it is to be administered. It is most convenient for your child to get his medicine at meal time. This is when they are closest to the infirmary. An announcement is made before they enter the dining hall stating that all kids who take medicine please go see the nurse. There is even a specific MED cheer (Give me an M, give me an E, give me a D...what does it spell?!) They are then dismissed to the nurse. Their medicine is in an envelope labeled with their name and cabin number and the nurse stands right there to watch that they take it appropriately. Medicine that must be given at bedtime will be brought to the camper at the close of their evening activity.
Q: How will anyone know my child has medical needs?
A: You have three opportunities to address their health needs with staff. The first comes when you fill out the “Letter to my Leader.” The second comes when you drop off your camper. Tell the nurse your concerns and she will explain them fully to the counselors at the end of check in. Your final option is to contact the nurse beforehand either by phone (1-800-782-2344) or email your concerns. This will allow the nurse to give you as much time as needed to explain your child’s needs. Before any campers arrive on the first day of a session our staff gathers for an informational session. Any needs you bring to the nurse’s attention before the session begins will be addressed with their counselors during that meeting. Emails are checked every few days during the off season and twice daily when camp is in session. Feel free to leave a message with the secretary before camp starts. In the off season, a few days may pass before your call is returned because the full-time nurse is not in the office daily.
Q: How will the counselors know my camper needs to take medicine?
A: During check in the nurses write down the names of any medicine prescribed and the times they should be administered. Immediately following check-in each senior counselor is given a sheet of paper which clearly lists all of their campers’ health care needs.
Q: What if my camper forgets to take their medicine?
A: It occasionally happens that a camper misses the med cheer and their counselor forgets to remind them. If a camper fails to come during meal time the nurse will call down to main camp and ask that they be sent up to the infirmary.
Q: Can my camper keep their medicine in their cabin and take it themselves?
A: Almost never. The only medicine that a camper can keep is a rescue inhaler or their Epi-Pen. Everything else must be turned over to the nurse at check-in without exception. Kids who may require a rescue inhaler or Epi-Pen are allowed to carry this medicine in their pockets but they must carry it themselves, and must know how to use it correctly. Their counselors cannot hold on to this medicine for them. Even if this will be kept on their person it must be included on the health form and you must share this information with the nurse during check in.
Q: What if my child needs medicine that I didn’t bring to camp?
A: On the health form is a list of all the non-prescription medicine kept in the infirmary. You do not need to send any of these medications. We keep a sufficient quantity on hand at all times. Sometimes situations arise when it is necessary for a prescription to be started during camp. We use the Walmart Pharmacy located in Putnam CT. Their phone number is 860-928-4199. Have your physician call the prescription to them and a camp staff member will pick it up. You will need to contact the pharmacy with payment and insurance information. When necessary, we deduct the cost of the prescription from your child’s camp bank and then you can replenish their account as needed.
Q: What if my child gets sick and needs to come home?
A: We try to keep kids here at camp when possible, however sometimes it’s in the best interest of your child and camp for them to go home. If your child is contagious, or likely to be sick for an extended period of time, we ask that you come get them and bring them home. This call will come from the camp nurse. You can write to the camp director to request a pro-rated refund for the period of time that they are away. Refunds are issued at the discretion of the Greater Hartford YMCA.
Q: What if my camper gets hurt?
A: All of our staff is trained in CPR and First Aid and there are first aid stations and kits throughout the camp property. Minor cuts or scrapes are sometimes cleaned and bandaged by the counselors. Most injuries are addressed by the nurse.
Q: If my child gets sick or injured at camp and needs to see a doctor, how does that come about?
A: Once the nurse identifies the need for a physician’s care, she will notify the parents and discuss her concerns. Parents have the option of then either bringing the child to the doctor or hospital of their choice or allowing camp staff to take the child to camp’s physician and/or to Day Kimball Hospital’s emergency department. Campers will be driven in a camp vehicle and accompanied by two staff members who will stay with your child until they return to camp. They call from the infirmary before heading out, and call again upon their return so they can tell their parents all about their experience. You will always speak to the nurse first before your child gets on the phone.
Q: What if their illness or injury is severe?
A: The care your camper receives is dependent on the nurse’s assessment. If it is felt that your child needs to be seen by a physician we will contact the parent or guardian and make appropriate arrangements for that doctor’s exam. Please be aware that all efforts will be made to contact parents before their child leaves camp, however in cases of life-threatening illness or injury our first call will be to 911 and parents will be called next.
Q: What are some common injuries seen at camp and how can they be prevented?
A: By far the most common injury seen at camp is a foot or ankle injury. They are running and playing outside. It’s easy to trip or stub their toes. The easiest way to prevent that is to encourage your child to wear sneakers. Sneakers with socks offer the best protection. Environmental issues, insect stings and sunburn are also common. Please be sure to send bug repellant and sunscreen with your child. It is your child’s responsibility to apply these products. All our counselors can do is encourage their use, they cannot force your child to put it on or apply it for them.
Q: What are some common illnesses and how does camp prevent their spread?
A: Cold symptoms are the most common. Campers and staff are encouraged to wash their hands frequently. Hand sanitizer is readily available for all. Sick campers are brought to the nurse and, if necessary, isolated in the infirmary or sent home. We follow CDC and State Health Dept. guidelines for the treatment of infectious diseases.