Caring Never Clocks Out

Compassion doesn't end when Forrest Health nurses clock out.

The same nurses who comfort patients day in and day out spend part of their summer vacation caring for children and adults with special needs, not because it's their job, but because caring is simply who they are.

For 65 years, Abbie Rogers Civitan Camp has welcomed campers from across the Pine Belt for Youth Week and Adult Week. As cars roll through the gates on opening day, counselors line the road waving brightly colored pool noodles while campers grin through open windows, exchanging hugs and high-fives before they even step out.

Children of Forrest Health nurses, physicians, and other staff also volunteer serving as camp counselors for the nearly 200 children, teens, and adults. That’s where nurses Natalee Dukes and Rachel Jerome got their start.

Natalee discovered camp through a high school friend and volunteered as a counselor for three summers before returning in 2021 as an area mom and later camp nurse. Rachel first came as a teenager after hearing about the experience from friends at school and church.

Denise Jones-Lindley, director of Forrest General Hospital surgical services, has volunteered at the camp for 19 years. She never expected that one last-minute request would become one of the most meaningful experiences of her career.

 “It has become one of the most rewarding traditions of my life,” she said. “I agreed to help, and that one week changed my life. I have returned every year since because of the incredible impact the camp has on both the campers and the volunteers.”

Natalee and Denise share camp nurse duties during Youth Week, while Rachel takes over the role during Adult Week, working alongside FGH employee Dylan Fields, RN.

Camp nurses manage medications, respond to illnesses and injuries, and handle everything from scraped knees to unexpected emergencies. Along the way, Natalee said, they also hand out plenty of hugs, smiles, and laughter.

But every nurse says the medical care is only part of the job.

“While the nursing responsibilities keep us busy, the greatest part of camp isn't the medical care, it's the people,” said Denise. “The lessons learned, the friendships made, and the overwhelming sense of gratitude and renewed purpose that comes from serving others are what stay with me long after camp is over.”

Natalee said welcoming campers on opening day remains one of her favorite traditions.  “It’s so special, and I look forward to that time each year,” she said.

In some ways, Rachel feels she gets more out of the camp experience than the campers.

“The campers have taught me so much through the years - how to live carefree and with joy, how to see the best in others, and to give generously with what I have,” she said.

"One of the campers I've grown close to learned I was getting married and gave me 10 potholders he had made and sold to raise money for camp," she said. "Every day at camp I am reminded what selfless giving and unconditional love really is, and it has made me a better person."

Denise said there are so many campers she’s gotten to know through the years that she now sees outside of camp. She said whether it’s at the grocery store, church, or somewhere in the community, she’s usually greeted with a big hug and an even bigger smile. “Those moments remind me that camp isn’t just one week each summer – it’s about relationships that continue throughout the year.”

Forrest Health’s Chief Operating Officer and Chief Nursing Officer Kim Reddish visited during Family and Friends Night and said the compassion she witnessed reflected what she sees every day across Forrest Health’s nursing staff.

“Culture is what we do when no one requires us to do it,” Reddish said. “Our nurses’ commitment to Civitan Camp demonstrates a culture of compassion, service, and purpose that extends far beyond the bedside.”

For Reddish, seeing nurses give their time and talents to campers also underscored why supporting employees who serve in the community is so important.

“When nurses give their time to Civitan Camp, they demonstrate that caring is more than a profession—it is part of who we are,” she said.

That commitment was especially evident as Reddish watched Forrest Health nurses interact with campers throughout the evening.

“I was truly overwhelmed with pride to see how our nurses have used their talents to create meaningful experience for the campers, as well as to see how they live our culture of compassion and service,” she said. “When we support Civitan Camp, we empower our nurses to serve others, and strengthen not only our community, but also the culture of nursing at Forrest Health.”

For the nurses who return year after year, that culture of caring is matched by what camp gives back to them.

“Camp changes you in ways you can’t even put into words,” Rachel said. “This year I told Civitan Camp Co-Director Terri Daniels that without camp, I would not be the person I am today. It pushes you out of your comfort zone, challenges you, makes you see people and life from a different lens. You leave camp better than you came.”

Denise said the relationships built at camp often last a lifetime, not only between campers and volunteers, but also among the volunteers themselves. “Those friendships become part of who you are,” she said.

“The lessons of humility, leadership, and gratitude experienced at camp are unique and invaluable,” Natalee said. “Civitan Camp teaches lessons to counselors and staff alike that only the experience itself can provide. I suggest everyone sign their high-school-aged child up as a counselor; their lives will be forever changed in the best way! As a counselor I gained leadership skills, friendships, empathy, and self confidence that led me to believe nursing was my life calling.” 

Long after the campfires burn out and the cabins empty, those same nurses return to Forrest General Hospital carrying the lessons of patience, joy, and compassion back to the bedside – proof that for them, caring isn't something they do only at work. It's simply who they are.

They'll all be back next summer, not because anyone expects them to, but because they can't imagine being anywhere else.

"After 19 years, I still leave camp each summer believing I received far more than I gave," said Denise.