Reflections
“ Sew ” Here We Are By Candace Ellison
Candace Ellison , BSN , RN , is currently working as a graduate nurse and completing a nurse residency in Bryan , TX . She is a recent Summa Cum Laude graduate from Midwestern State University ’ s Accelerated BSN program in Wichita Falls , TX .
Spring break is usually a highly anticipated time for college students . During my last semester in a 15-month accelerated nursing program to obtain my Bachelor of Science in Nursing , my break meant a time to do what any nursing student would do : catch up on sleep . Of course , I also wanted to see family and friends , read a book , and get ahead on some assignments . I also had to complete volunteer hours for my service-learning course , which is a requirement for my nursing program .
Unfortunately , just at the brink of my spring break in April 2020 , the world came to terms that it was at the mercy of the COVID-19 virus . The spread of the coronavirus , social distancing , and shelterin-place orders quickly changed all the plans I had for my spring break and beyond . The five days that I got to be away from campus , a time usually meant for relaxation and rejuvenation , were instead filled with uncertainty and anxiety about the future of classes , exams , clinicals , and graduation . Information from the school of nursing was changing daily ; campus closed . . . classes online . . . volunteer hours could not be completed in the community . Doubt ( and a little bit of panic ) set in : Am I going to be able to successfully complete this program amidst all these changes ?
Social media and news outlets were flooded with information about the pandemic . These sources can induce fear in individuals , but they can also ignite a spirit of togetherness in a time of crisis . As a future nurse , I wanted to do something that could help others during this time while still following instructions to stay home . I was looking at social media , perusing for ideas on ways to help , and a former coworker had posted an update asking if anyone knew how to sew . She was still working seven days a week as a home health physical therapist and was looking for someone to make reusable face masks for her and her coworkers . At that time , the beginning of the pandemic , access to personal protective equipment was limited , even for front line health care workers . Seeing this call for help inspired me ; it was a way to help during the personal protective equipment shortage and provide a service to others within my home . It was also a way I could complete my service learning hours for my nursing course while staying safe and abiding to the shelter in place regulation . I had access to a sewing machine , but had not used one in over fifteen years . I asked my friend if she thought we could do this together and she agreed to help me . I reached out to my former coworker to let her know I would like to help .
The fabric store in town was providing curbside pick-up for materials ; I could still adhere to social distancing by placing my order for fabric , thread , and elastic online . I picked my materials up the same day and used a pattern for the mask from the article my former coworker
40 NSNA IMPRINT n NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2020 n www . nsna . org