Many reasons to fall in love with the great outdoors.
Nurses and vacations are usually two words that do not mix well together! Especially in these times, nurses have such busy schedules. That being said, unless you want to end up getting burnt out, you need a break every now and then. Here we look at why camping is the perfect choice.
Are Camping Trips Really Ideal for Nurses?
Simply because you are a nurse, it doesn’t necessarily mean that camping is the best or the only option for a vacation mind you. However, there are certain advantages to going camping as a nurse for sure, much of which we will discuss next.
Camping Helps You Truly Get Away from It All
Taking a break means very little if anyone and everyone can reach you, or call you up to disturb your week of peace and serenity. Not that we would advise anyone to camp outside the reception area of course, but if you decide to skip a work call or two, at least you will now have a believable excuse!
The main idea is to not just dodge calls, of course, but to actually experience a true break. It’s difficult to describe it, but the following should give newbies an idea of what to expect:
- Even if you have a full cellphone tower, the feeling of being surrounded by forests and mountains will feel surreally different
- The vision and sounds alone are enough to give you that sense of being in a completely different world from your own
- The change of scenery, sounds, and lifestyle for just a week is enough to recharge your batteries
A Sense of Calm: Rare Experience for a Nurse
Those that have been camping/hiking to any of the remote national parks such as Yosemite or Glacial before, will know that sense of calm all too well. Make no mistake, the forest can be loud, especially during the summer months, but even amidst all that background noise, there is an unrivaled sense of serenity and happiness which will soothe you in more ways than one.
It helps nursing professionals in particular, because of reasons that can be summarized as follows:
- Nurses spend a good deal of time in tense life or death scenarios
- The stress of dealing with such situations on a daily basis has a strong effect on our nerves
- The calm of the forest, while exploring, hiking and camping for the night, stands in rejuvenatingly stark contrast to the usual days of a nurse
- The reliable and steady peace of a forest will let you experience sleep like you may not have had for a long time
Speaking of calmness, do keep in mind that if you are in bear or cougar territory, and the forest suddenly falls silent, it might be best to get back to your car or RV for the time being!
You Can Continue Studying in Peace
A break from work in the middle of the woods can also be the perfect time to catch up on some study time. If you are pursuing your MSN program online, then you should be able to access the platform from anywhere in the world, as long as you have an internet connection.
However, cell towers and Wi-Fi connections are not always available in camping sites of course, but that shouldn’t actually be a problem. Just download some of the study materials you want to look over while on the trip, and you are good to go. Put that calm of the forest to good use by getting some much-needed schoolwork done!
Along with being more affordable, flexible and practically feasible, that’s one more reason why an online MSN program is just a better option for working nurses who aim to achieve greater career goals in life. There are practically no restrictions or geographical limitations that can keep you away from completing the necessary higher education.
You Might be the Best Emergency Handler in Your Group
Unless you are going with a group of nurses and doctors, there is a high likelihood of you being the most qualified person to handle medical emergencies.
- If you are a mom, for instance, your kids and everyone else going will be safer just because you are there
- Nurses are by far the most effective professionals to have nearby in a camping site in case of a medical emergency
- Even when there is no emergency, you would be able to prevent people from getting into emergencies to begin with
- First-aid and basic CPR are not as commonly known to the general public as you may imagine!
Scoping Out a Career Opportunity
It is quite possible that you may just fall in love with the fresh outdoors, and the good news is, it might also become a career opportunity for you! Yes, camping nurses have a very high employability rate, because of two reasons:
- The entire nursing community is short-staffed at the moment
- Not a lot of RNs have the option to take up such a job
If you have had enough of the daily gore and tension, then consider a career as a camp nurse on your very first trip to the outdoors. A few important and relevant facts about pursuing the career path are as follows:
- $25.98/hour is the national average pay for camp nurses in the US
- Experience and the right MSN program can boost that rate up to $38/hour
- Earning anything between $70,000 – $80,000 per year can be expected after a few years of experience
As we mentioned in the beginning, there’s no perfect vacation type that is exclusively beneficial to professionals from any field of work. Feel free to explore the beaches, or go to a luxury resort, if that’s what helps you to relax more. Nevertheless, the reasons here are solid, and if you have not taken a break from work in a while, try camping in the heart of nature, because that could be exactly what you need to refresh your mind and soul.
