Greetings! Thank you for checking out NurseMade. I’m so happy you’re here. I’d like to tell you little about myself and this project.
I have spent the entirety of my professional career in health care. That’s 15 years working in hospitals, mostly ERs and ICUs. I have cared for patients as a Helicopter Flight Nurse, and a Level 1 Trauma Nurse. It’s who I am. It’s what I do.
NurseMade started on March 14, 2020, as the A.B. Mask Project. I had no idea what it would turn into. The project was a direct response to a conversation I had the day before with a nurse friend, now working in the ER in Washington State. The night we spoke, she was on the frontlines of our nation's initial outbreak of COVID-19. She told me: We are running out of supplies. We have no masks.
The following morning,
I deconstructed the one surgical mask I had at home and started to design and sew an N95 cover, in the hopes of prolonging the life of the limited number of N95 masks we have around the country.
For generations, in my family, sewing is an act of love. A.B. are my nurse friend’s initials.
Let me share something with you about ER nurses, we are at our best when the stakes are high and the resources are scarce. We take pride in being the calming force on our patients darkest day. The essence of our profession can be distilled into three steps:
Step 1:
Identify potential and emerging problems.
Step 2:
Take informed action to fix or bring attention to the problem.
Step 3:
Complete Step 1 and Step 2 with decisiveness, speed, humility, and compassion.
Many of us nurses are hardworking, resourceful, opinionated, and, at times, slightly impulsive. I’m thankful those parts of my personality aligned on March 14. With the hope that a few dozen people might benefit from my mask, I posted a rough pattern on instructibles.com. In less than 3 weeks, the pattern has exceeded 2 million views, and the project has gotten media inquiries and mentions from local news stations, Maclean’s, The San Francisco Chronicle, and The New York Times.
Since that initial posting, my design has evolved, alongside the ever-growing need for masks. I started this project to protect nurses, but I now believe my responsibility reaches far beyond any singular profession. And that brings us here.
NurseMade was developed as a platform to offer well-designed, DIY, personal protective equipment (PPE) patterns at no cost, absolutely FREE. No registration or email address needed. With the help of a dedicated team, we plan on releasing our scrub cap and face shield patterns soon.
In the near future, we’ll offer ready-to-wear masks and pre-cut sewing kits, shipped directly to you from us. Any products we develop will always be offered at a reasonable price, and profits will be invested back into the NurseMade cause.
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This project was born as, by a nurse, for a nurse. It’s quickly evolved, becoming something closer to by a nurse, for you—with the help and support of her people. Rest assured, we're still working on that tagline.
A shout out to two of those people in particular.
Ryan Carver—an old friend who, in less than a week, created the NurseMade logo, this website, our overall grassroots spread-the-word campaign, and our marketing plan. Thank you for your talent and professional expertise. Without it, NurseMade would likely still be a pipe dream. Check him out at: Here.
Christie Chisholm—a friend I’ve known even longer—about as far back as memory goes—who has also long lent her expertise in the art of written language. Her motivation and belief in my creative vision helped breath life into NurseMade. She’s simply the best friend and amazeballs editor this gal could ever dream of. Check her out at: HERE.
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I'd like to end this story (for now) by sharing some of my core beliefs, as a nurse, a mother, and the creator of NurseMade.
I believe in empowering others in their individual pursuit of health.
I believe in honesty and transparency.
I believe in the power of good design.
I believe nurses and underground seamstresses can and will continue to save lives.
I believe our local communities hold the power to catalyze positive change and make a lasting difference in this world.
I believe in NurseMade.
Sew On, Be Safe.
Love,
Jessica Nandino
