In the past year, we have all had to learn and re-learn techniques to heal, hold, and care for ourselves and the people around us. Some of us have looked back to learn how our communities have traditionally held each other, some have looked forward to imagine different possibilities for care. At NSRH we have done a little bit (a lot!) of both. We were reaffirmed that there are ways in which nurses have always been foundational to the care of their communities; and, we see that there are other ways of knowing and caring that need to arise. In planning our educational offerings, we have kept all of this in mind. Part of this process has involved learning from the natural world and its ability to regenerate and survive.

Consider the structures of a spider web: Spiders are able to adjust the consistency of their web based on function and need. The edges are sticky to trap food, the center is smooth to allow for mobility. Incorporating our values in our education program creates trust and allows for a center that encourages curiosity and discovery. From the nurse just beginning their journey into sexual and reproductive health (SRH), to the ‘SRH experts,’ we all need trust as a foundation to allow for comfort, mistakes and growth. Our web encourages all of us to lean into the sticky discomfort of unknowing, learning and cultivating a practice that celebrates sexual and reproductive care. Whether someone is using our online education platform to learn about comprehensive pregnancy options counseling for the first time, or a seasoned SRH vet is revisiting a topic after noticing moments where their theoretical knowledge hasn’t matched their practice, our education web holds all of that.

Spider webs are formed from single threads connected to function as a whole. We know that the education needs of the nursing community are vast. In order to transform healthcare to robustly celebrate SRH, we need to engage and support different learning styles and diverse education needs. From our Karen Edlund Nurse Leader Fellowship, developing the leadership capacity of nursing students from underrepresented communities, to online learning with CE’s that can be done on shift, to the Training in Abortion Care Fellowship for registered nurses to gain experience in abortion care, to in-person education sessions with partners in this work, each component of NSRH’s education functions as a thread strengthening the collective web of nurses in SRH.

Finally, one of the most magnificent elements of spider webs is their incorporation of beauty. Research has shown that the design of some spider webs are not just for function, but for beauty as well. This is a clear reminder that pleasure, beauty and differences are critical in shaping the whole structure. Prioritizing complexities as a means to pleasure is foundational to NSRH, including our education program. We know that not every community or every nurse has the same needs or vision. Rather making space for and celebrating our different shapes and structures is what makes our web capable and beautiful.