"Even on days class wasn't in session, there was always someone to reach out to. Mason gave us that group. Mason gave us our support. Mason gave us the best friends for life.”
Kayla Thompson (BSN ’20) is a clinical technician at Inova Fairfax where she cares for COVID-19 patients who are in isolation and unable to be with family and friends.
To accommodate the increase in patients requiring critical care, all units have taken patients requiring higher levels of care, including Kayla’s “step-down unit” which typically provides intermediate-level care. This has allowed the step-down unit to take COVID-19 intensive care patients and ease some of the burden on the Intensive Care Unit.
While her Mason education has prepared her for the challenge, she explains that in the world of COVID-19 it seems that what was true one day completely changes the next. “Those in the medical field right now are on the forefront of ever-evolving medicine and care. The days are long and take a toll on us both physically and emotionally.”
“The COVID-19 pandemic has taught me how vital human collaboration and interaction truly is for survival. The lack of visitation for patients has been very tough for the family members of the patients. I’ve learned just how important human interaction is for physical and mental health, and our unit has found ways to use technology so that family members are able to physically see their loved ones admitted to our floor.”
Thompson believes that you get out what you put into your nursing education at Mason. “If you want an amazing Mason experience, you have to be there. Show up for classes, go to campus events (or virtual campus events), utilize the vast amount of resources Mason makes available, most for no extra cost. George Mason University staff and professors truly do care about you and your success,” says Thompson.
“My best memory of Mason is the camaraderie I have felt amongst my fellow nursing students. We are in an intense program, but no matter how stressed we were feeling, there was always someone in the group who understood and could give their tips on what they were doing. Even on days class wasn't in session, there was always someone to reach out to. Mason gave us that group. Mason gave us our support. Mason gave us the best friends for life.”