Abstract

            Before the pandemic, I would have never thought to constantly wear a mask, second guess going out in public, hesitate to hug my grandmother, have enough food and toilet paper to last, go to college on zoom or to change after work in fear of bringing a virus home to my family. This all became reality during the covid-19 pandemic. No matter what role in society, everyone was affected in some way by this pandemic. Whether it be healthcare workers, small business owners or the loss of a family member, there seemed to be no light at the end of the tunnel. This pandemic will live on in history as a completely unexpected and unprecedented experience that people will describe as dark and endless. Thanks to the vaccine there seems to be an end to this, however people who lived through it will always remember and be cautious of getting themselves or others sick.

Personal Sphere Considerations

            During the pandemic, I worked as a Certified Nursing Assistant at an assisted living in Massachusetts. I was able to see the virus and how it affected the older population firsthand. We were lucky in the beginning to have no cases and it seemed to not affect us, however when I heard about our first positive case it felt like “impending doom.” We had to wear masks and sometimes more personal protective equipment,  meaning that the residents wouldn’t be able to see our full faces and for those with hearing loss it would be even more difficult as they would be unable to read our lips. We had to force everyone to stay in their apartments when they would normally be free to come and go with their family or go see their friends in the facility. We had to serve everyone food in their apartment, when normally they would be able to eat with other residents in the dining room. For me, it was challenging to implement because I watched my resident’s mental health decline being stuck in their rooms, unable to see anyone but me all day, and continuously listening to the news reports about the grim outside world. I knew by doing these things I was protecting them especially because they are a very vulnerable population, but I knew this situation was upsetting them and there was not much I could do about it other than care for them the best I could.

In late November, I was directly exposed to covid-19 without personal protective equipment and had to quarantine for 10 days. This was my worst fear coming true because my family members are all high-risk due to health conditions that make them immunocompromised. So, not only was I able to see the effects of the virus firsthand through my residents, and I was lucky to avoid getting the virus, but I also experienced what it was like for covid patients to quarantine away from people and I would not wish that on my worst enemy. 

These experiences during quarantine helped me to shape my understanding of basic nursing concepts because it built a firmer foundation of empathy which surrounds nursing as a whole. Knowing that I was the only person that my resident would see all day, I would make sure to show compassion towards what they were going through and allow them to lean on me for support while they felt isolated from others. It was important that while encouraging my residents to practice self-care, that I did so myself. I learned that a person cannot care for others if they are unable to care for themselves which applies to my nursing career in the future as well.

Professional Sphere Considerations

Through the advancing pandemic, as a nursing student, I developed a revised view about the leadership role and the overall importance of nurses. Nurses are not only health care workers, but they are advocates, leaders, teachers, supporters, and hand holders especially during a time like this when their loved ones can’t. By advocating for their patients and promoting public health and prevention of disease, nurses played a major role in leading the world toward the end of the pandemic. Challenges such as the ones I went through as a CNA formed an evolving understanding of what it means to be a nurse. I am motivated to graduate nursing school after seeing how essential nursing is worldwide, and how much I will be able to help people once I finish.

Community/Global Sphere Considerations

After this pandemic is over, community health will be a priority. Since people were unable to gather in large groups for such a long time, once it is allowed there will be more gatherings than before. This could lead to spread of other illnesses, drug use, alcohol use and racial or ethnic biases. It is important in the nurse’s role as a leader to promote health and wellness, health equity, discourage bias and prevent disease. However, I feel that the most pressing community health issues will be those surrounding mental health after the pandemic. Prolonged isolation can lead to depression, anxiety and an increased risk of suicide, loss of a family member can cause ineffective coping or prolonged grief, and the universal fear of the virus generates a shared trauma that many will need help managing. In the future, I see nurses playing a role in promoting and providing vaccinations, providing support to those with mental health disorders, and educating the community to discourage prejudice, promote wellness and prevent further disease.

Conclusion

Being able to experience the pandemic from my point of view was a blessing in disguise. It was definitely challenging to watch my residents go through prolonged isolation and experience quarantine myself, however I definitely learned a lot about the field that I am going into as a nurse. I developed a better understanding of what my future role as a nurse will be personally, professionally and in the community as a leader. I am looking forward to what I can accomplish as a nurse in the future to help my patients as well as the public. I will always refer to this time as a learning experience because although we all had to make major adjustments to our lives to accommodate this virus and stop the spread, it taught me how to better cope with change, the fundamental concept of empathy in health care and the overall importance of nursing as a whole.