Nurses Week: Free Swag & Discounts

Now in the midst of Nurses Week 2021, it's time to take advantage of all the goodies and freebies companies are offering as thanks to all the hard work nurses (all of you!) put in day and night. From Thursday, May 6 to Wednesday, May 12, there are numerous deals and discounts to take advantage of — from Dunkin' to Chipotle, check them out! Read more

NICU nurses and doctor deliver baby on plane —

Last week, Lavinia Mounga was flying from Salt Lake City to Honolulu for vacation when all of a sudden, she went into labor. Aside from the obvious challenges of giving birth on a plane, she didn't even know she was pregnant! Thanks to her incredible luck, also on her flight were three NICU nurses and a doctor who were successfully able to deliver her son, Raymond, after only 29 weeks of gestation. The doctor and three nurses cared for Mounga for three hours after delivering the baby until landing safely in Honolulu. Talk about being in the right place at the right time! Read more

Tokyo seeks more nurses as it prepares to host the Olympic Games —

Tokyo's Olympic organizers recently shared a request to have an additional 500 nurses from across Japan come to the site of the games to help support the event. While some are seeing this as an exciting opportunity amidst such a tough year, others are saying they're already at a breaking point with the pandemic. Mikito Ikeda, a nurse in Nagoya in central Japan, said that, "I was stunned at the insensitivity, [...] It shows how human life is being taken lightly.” With the Olympics set to open in less than three months, Japan's borders will be opening widely for the first time in more than a year. Since Japan is currently at a mere 1–2% vaccination rate, many nurses and healthcare workers are worried about the quickly approaching dates of the Olympics. Read more

Coronavirus Updates

COVID-19 vaccines proving effective against new variants —

Recent studies released on Wednesday reveal that existing COVID-19 vaccines are proving highly effective against new virus variants, and that in some cases, a booster dose can make them even more effective. These studies also showed that being fully vaccinated does make a big difference. One study performed in Israel showed that the the Pfizer/BioNtech vaccine worked significantly better after two doses, resulting in greater than 95% protection against infection, severe illness, and even death. As new variants are discovered in current hotspots like India, these findings spread strong hope for vaccination rollouts. Read more

India's COVID-19 crisis worsens —

In April, India's COVID-19 cases hit record highs, and global health experts warned that this could hamper the entire world's attempts to end the pandemic. India is home to 1.4 billion people (18% of the global population) and currently accounts for 46% of new COVID-19 cases globally; in fact, one in four deaths due to COVID-19 in April came from India. With more than 300,000 new daily cases throughout the past two weeks, India is struggling to slow the spread of the virus, and health experts worry that this could hasten the emergence of new variants and slow overall global efforts to deal with COVID-19. “Given all these issues, and the humanitarian crisis unfolding, it has become imperative for the world to act quickly to help India," Uma Kambhampati, an economics professor at the University of Reading in the United Kingdom. Read more

Poll reveals worsening effects of COVID-19 on mental health —

A recent national poll from the American Psychiatric Association revealed that people are actually reporting mental health impacts of the pandemic more this year than last. While it seems that the overall level of anxiety or uncertainty has decreased from 2021, the degree to which this anxiety is still present is alarming. In the poll, 41% of Americans reported that they were actually more anxious than last year: young adults (age 18–29) reported at 49%, and those 65 and older at 30%. Additionally, 64% of those polled reported being more afraid of a loved one catching the virus than they were of catching it themselves (49%). Dr. Samoon Ahmad, professor in the Department of Psychiatry at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, thinks there are a few reasons why anxiety levels remain high, but aside from the pandemic itself, shifts blame on the "forced introspection" many of us have had to carry out with more time spent at home and fewer distractions throughout our normal day-to-day hustle and bustle. It's likely it will take a while before levels of anxiety diminish, says Ahmad, "[but] I don't think it's wise to try to put a limit on what constitutes a normal amount of time to readjust." Read more

Upcoming Events

Nurses Week Events & Free Swag: There's more to come! —

Nurses Week 2021 has just begun, and we have so much more to share! Be sure to enter the giveaway below, join us at our events, grab some free swag, and treat yourself.️

🚨 Giveaway Alert 🚨

We're giving away 14 limited-edition sets of our exclusive "Not a hero, but a human." capsule collection. Each capsule set includes: Jaanuu Scrub Top, Jaanuu Scrub Bottom, Jaanuu Underscrub Top, and one pair of BALA shoes! The giveaway runs through May 12. Enter here!

Treat Your Soul – Restorative Yoga & Meditation
Monday, May 10, 2021, 4pm PDT

Treat Your Creative Side – Paint 'n Sip
Tuesday, May 11, 2021, 3pm PDT

Treat Your Mind – Virtually Impossible: A Magic Show with Kevin Blake
Wednesday, May 12, 2021, 4pm PDT