After years of fast-paced, high-pressure work in the emergency department, Cami Robinson, RN, reached a point many nurses know all too well: burnout. She loved nursing. She loved her patients. But she had hit a wall. Something had to change.
What Cami didn’t know at the time was that stepping away from the bedside nursing wouldn’t mean stepping away from profession. Instead, it would lead her somewhere unexpected.
Cami began her nursing career in the emergency department shortly after graduating from nursing school. From the start, she was drawn to the teamwork, the variety, and the shared sense of purpose among ER nurses.
“The nurses were laughing so loudly,” she recalls of her first day shadowing in the ER. “Their sense of humor was incredible, and I could see myself fitting in.”
For more than five years, Cami worked as a bedside nurse, including several years as a travel nurse. She cared for patients during some of the most challenging moments of their lives, including during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nursing allowed her to start working right out of school, make an immediate impact, and build a career that aligned with the life she wanted.
But this work soon took its toll on Cami.
Through a personal connection, Cami learned about Roundup River Ranch, a camp in Colorado for children with life-altering diagnoses. The camp provides a medically safe environment where kids can experience joy, adventure, and community, free of charge.
When the camp needed help preparing for the summer, Cami stepped in. What began as a short-term contract quickly became something much more.
That summer, she worked as a cabin nurse, caring for campers while ziplining, rock climbing, and fully embracing the camp experience alongside them. By fall, she knew she didn’t want to leave. She joined Roundup River Ranch full-time and now serves as the camp’s Nurse Director.
At Roundup River Ranch, Cami’s nursing skills are as critical as they ever were in the emergency department. She oversees volunteer recruitment and training, reviews camper applications to ensure they can provide adequate care, manages supplies, and supports a multidisciplinary medical team. When camp is in session, she checks in with nurses across cabins, responds to medical needs, and ensures kids are safe while fully participating in camp life.
But what sets this work apart is the focus on joy.
“We don’t wear scrubs,” Cami says. “We wear silly T-shirts, costumes, tutus – anything that helps camp feel fun and not like a hospital.”
Cami hopes her story gives other nurses permission to imagine different paths forward – especially those feeling burned out or stuck.
“It’s the most hope-giving, life-giving thing – to think I don't have to give up everything I work so hard for just because I am burned out with nothing left to give. I can redirect my skills in a way that feels more meaningful and impactful and joy giving to me.”
For Cami, The Power of Nurses™ lies in their adaptability, compassion, and ability to meet people where they are, whether that’s in an emergency department or at a summer camp.
How has a nurse impacted your life? Share your story at ThePowerOfNurses.org.