The Association of Camp Nurses (ACN) is a professional nursing
organization working toward healthier camp communities by supporting
the practice of camp nursing. ACN was founded by Jeanne
Otto when she began an informal newsletter in the 1980's. With
her retirement in 1990, ACN restructured as a not-for-profit organization,
created a Leadership Board ,
and launched the Association which exists today.
ACN’s national office is in Bemidji, Minnesota. Board members
represent a variety of camp nursing experiences. The organization
is volunteer-driven by nurses who are committed to developing camp
nursing practice and working to provide healthy camp communities.
Members of ACN are nurses. In a practice where one nurse is often
the only nurse, ACN membership can be the resource which helps
minimize the camp nurse’s feeling of isolation and provides
a way to share camp health discoveries. ACN offers access to other
people who share similar interests. Members receive ACN’s
publication, CompassPoint,
participate in Association governance, serve on various committees,
and attend ACN conferences.
ACN recognizes that developing camp nursing practice impacts the
camps in which nurses work. Because of this, the Association has
a kindred relationship to the American
Camp Association (ACA) and stays abreast of developments within Christian
Camping International (CCI). In an effort to work collaboratively with the greater world
of camping, a growing number of individual ACN members are also
members of these camping organizations.
Because of the Association’s outreach to other groups, a
subscription to CompassPoint is
available to those who want to stay informed of the developments
in camp health practices. Those who subscribe also are informed
about educational opportunities for their camp health staff.
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