Celebrating Our Nurses – Nurse Ava

For Ava, returning to Campfire Circle each summer is more than a job—it’s a homecoming. Now a nurse in an adult hospice centre in Ottawa, she first came to Campfire Circle as a camper when it was Camp Trillium.

Years later, inspired by her mother’s work in community care and her own camp memories, she followed her calling to become a nurse.

Ava’s favourite part of camp? Watching kids feel free. “Hospital stays can make kids feel stuck. At camp, we help them waterski, climb, swim—just be kids again and create those lasting connections.”

A lot of campers also will form bonds with the nurses and want them to come and watch them swim or play sports. “It’s always an honour when one of them asks you to participate with them and gives you a chance to watch them shine.”

Unlike a hospital setting, being a nurse at camp blends clinical care with laughter and lakeside adventure. Whether it’s tubing with a camper who needs mobility support or handing out freezies to keep everyone cool, nurses create these special moments that are different from their everyday job.

“Being able to do blood transfusions and have the camper jump in the lake after was the coolest feeling, and not something you get to experience in the hospital,” says Ava. “You build real bonds—with kids, families, and your fellow staff. Camp makes a lasting impact, not just for campers, but for us, too.”