Missing Camp Ho Mita Koda Already

Wow, I can’t believe my capstone experience is already over! Chavon and I had some ups and downs at Camp Ho Mita Koda but the overall experience was extremely worthwhile. We had the opportunity to teach about exercise as we thought that the kids had limited education about this topic. Being at a camp, where their blood glucoses were performed more often and closely monitored showed us that physical activity allowed for better diabetes management. Overall, the kids benefited from learning about aerobic and anaerobic exercise. I felt very fulfilled following the children through the teaching process. Chavon and I made a huge difference in the kid’s exercise education from what we observed in their pre-test and post-test scores.

My favorite week of camp was the last week. I think that Chavon and I learned the most during this week, related to pump site changes, pump rate changes, and the different aspects of insulin. Also, since we were not distracted by learning the protocol, it was easier to form relationships with the campers. We had a lot of fun getting to know the campers, whether they were young or adolescents. It was enjoyable to hang out with the counselors as well.

I still think about Camp Ho Mita Koda and at times wish that I had a few more weeks to spend there. I found the capstone experience in general very rewarding since we were very hands on. We performed medication calculations, administered insulin and other treatments, and used critical thinking to solve issues. I felt fully involved at the camp and applied many of my nursing skills. I thought that being exposed to camp nursing was also beneficial. Since I will most likely be working in a hospital setting, it was interesting learning about different types of nursing outside of the classroom. Kids came to the nursing staff with ear aches, blisters, upset stomachs, and Staph infected mosquito bites. It was interesting to see this spectrum of first aid. I will still be able to apply much of what I learned at camp to whatever discipline I work in.