Mary Moosbrugger: Making New Connections at Summer Camp

This summer I had the opportunity to work on the medical team as an intern at a camp called Victory Junction, a member of the SeriousFun Camp Network, which is a global community of camps that serves children who suffer from some form of serious illness or chronic medical condition.

The summer is broken up into eight weeks of camp, with each week housing a different category of diagnoses. Some of the common diagnoses that we saw this summer were cerebral palsy, cancer, GI disorders, heart diseases, bleeding disorders, down syndrome, sickle cell anemia, spina bifida, and many others. Additionally, one of the most amazing parts about Victory Junction is that it is completely free to all campers! This means that families can send their children to a safe and accessible summer camp where their kids have the chance to feel like other children their age who do not have a life altering medical diagnosis without having to worry about the cost on top of all their other medical expenses.

Being on the medical team was a whole new experience for me, but it was not one that I immediately jumped at the idea of doing. I had worked the previous summer at Victory Junction as well, but I worked as a cabin counselor. I knew I wanted to come back to camp the next summer to work again, but when I got a call from the medical director at camp asking me to be a part of the medical team as the nursing intern, I knew this was an opportunity I could not pass up.

Even though I knew this would be a great chance to get to practice some of my nursing skills as well as learn from the other medical professionals each week at camp, I was nervous about my new role because it meant I would not get to be a part of my own cabin.  One of my favorite parts of the summer before had been going around with the campers all day and seeing their faces light up as they tried new things like fishing, ziplining, or riding a horse. I also loved getting to just hang out at night with the campers and develop deep connections with them. Wondering if I would miss out on these special moments was one of the big questions I repeatedly asked myself as I prepared to start my new job.

When I arrived to start my internship I was anxious to see what my new role would hold. During my week of orientation, I learned that my personal responsibilities would include things like being in charge all the counselor and volunteers medications, preparing each campers paperwork to facilitate a smooth and efficient check in each week, and providing support to each staff nurse.

Once the campers arrived I soon realized that my fear of not being able to make connections with campers in my new role was far from the truth. Instead, I was able to meet more campers and experience special moments with lots of different groups instead of just one cabin. I was able to get especially close to certain campers by helping provide their medical care to them. 

One key moment from the summer that helped me see I was exactly where I was supposed to be was when I was able to help care for and comfort one of our campers after she had to leave camp to go to the hospital. This camper had come into our medical building on camp after dinner one night because she was not feeling well, and the counselors told us she had not been acting like herself either that day. She had been nauseated and was having trouble eating her food. We started to monitor the camper in the medical building and could see that she was dehydrated. The nurses decided it would be best to start an IV to try to hydrate her. Since she was so dehydrated, her veins were flat, so it was hard to get an IV started. This was when one of the nurses suggested we use a flashlight to try and find a good vein. I had never heard of using a flashlight before to find a vein, but sure enough once we dimmed the lights and held the flashlight under her hand, we were able to illuminate a vein and the nurse was able to get the IV started. This was one of those techniques they do not teach you in school, so I was very happy that I got to witness this and learn this new skill. Unfortunately, even after starting the IV and getting the camper hydrated, her condition still did not improve, and her stomach was still hurting a lot. We decided to send her to a hospital nearby to see if there was something bigger going on.

This was the right call because after going to the hospital, this camper was admitted to the pediatric ICU due to a bowel obstruction and needed an NG tube (a tube that goes from your nose to stomach). While the camper was in the hospital, I had the chance to sit with her and wait for her mom to arrive since she lived a few hours away. Even though we were not under the best circumstances, this was an impactful moment for me. I was able to sit with this camper and talk for a long time. We talked about camp and she told me about her life at home. We talked and shared stories and she told me how much fun she had been having at camp and she hoped she could come back next year.

When I reflect on this moment, I realize that this is an opportunity I would have never had if I had not been on the medical team. If I had been working with a cabin, I would not have been able to leave all my other campers behind to be with this one camper, but since my role on the medical team was flexible I was able to comfort this camper in a new environment and be a friend to her when she was scared. My job on the medical team had taught me how to remain calm in stressful and emergent situations. I was able to learn from the amazing nurses I worked with and gain confidence in my own ability to try new nursing skills and work on my ability to provide compassionate care to kids in need. I am so thankful that this internship allowed me to have the best of both worlds where I was able to grow as a nursing student as well as make special connections with my campers.

Mary Moosbrugger is a senior nursing student at Lander University and is a member of the Honors College. For her breakaway experience she was a summer intern on the medical team at a camp for children with serious illnesses and chronic medical conditions in Randleman, North Carolina called Victory Junction. Mary plans to graduate in May of 2024 and begin working as a pediatric nurse.