The Camp Nurse is In
Bumps, bruises and bee stings —the occasional byproducts of summer fun—will soon be the focus of Catherine Sofikitis, RN, who in August will return as the resident nurse for a children’s camp in Contoocook, New Hampshire.
“I just love getting away to the woods and the lake,” said Sofikitis, a resident of Nashua, New Hampshire. This year, her volunteer stint will span two weeks, twice as long as last summer. It’s a far cry from her role at BWH, where she works as a staff nurse in Neurology’s intensive care unit on Tower 9D. “At BWH, I’m used to having support all around me. At camp, I’m the only medical person there. I’m on call 24 hours a day and essentially have to do it all.”
For emergencies such as severe allergic reactions or heart distress, Sofikitis calls 911. But the response can take up to 12 minutes, so in the interim, her nursing skills are on the line. “I find that all my experience at BWH, including my previous work on the Burn and Trauma Unit, comes in quite handy,” she said.
“I also rely on my skills as a mother,” she added. In fact, one of the campers is her son, Alex, age nine. The camp, which is operated by the Greek Orthodox Diocese of Boston, features five summer sessions for kids ages eight to 18, who come from all over New England and as far away as Greece. Sofikitis heard about the opportunity from a former BWH nurse who previously was a nurse there.
With 150 campers and 30 counselors to care for, there’s never a dull moment. First aid is a big part of the job — managing the scrapes and sprains that kids can get from sports or a hike in the woods. Sometimes Sofikitis is the proverbial bad guy. “One day, the kids were playing a game called ‘Capture the Flag,’” she said. “It was like a war zone—lots of bumps and injuries. When I marched onto the field, they asked, ‘Can you play with us?’ I said, ‘No, I’m here to break up the game.’”
The counselors, who are primarily Boston-area college students, occasionally need to hear the voice of authority. “I tell them I’m not just the nurse around here. I’m the ranking mother,” she said. During the winter, Sofikitis and another camp nurse, from Children’s Hospital, meet with the counselors on a monthly basis, teaching them trauma prevention, basic first aid and CPR.
Other key roles include infection control, such as suggesting ways to safely handle food and clean the kitchen. The camp nurse also administers drugs that the children bring from home. “We are careful to keep them on schedule,” she said. “We also do our utmost to respect confidentiality, giving medications in a discreet way so the kids don’t stand out.”
Overall, the job is a peaceful getaway. “I have my own three-room cottage with a screened porch overlooking a beautiful lake,” said Sofikitis. “I just love it out there.”