Freebies And Appreciation Offers For Nurses During Covid-19 And Nurses Week

During the COVID-19 pandemic, nurses and healthcare workers have been recognized as frontline heroes working tirelessly to care for patients. In appreciation for their service, numerous companies have offered free products, discounts, and special deals. These offers have been particularly significant during National Nurses Week (typically observed May 6-12), which commemorates Florence Nightingale's birthday, the founder of modern nursing. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the freebies, discounts, and special offers available to nurses during the COVID-19 crisis and Nurses Week celebrations.

Food and Beverage Offers

Many food and beverage companies have shown appreciation for nurses by offering free meals, drinks, and discounts. These offers have been particularly popular during Nurses Week and throughout the pandemic.

• Applebee's has historically offered free appetizers to nurses who show a valid work badge during Nurses Week.
• Buffalo Wild Wings has provided 20% off orders to nurses with valid ID during Nurses Week in previous years.
• Chipotle has given away 100,000 free burritos to healthcare workers, including nurses. At the end of Nurses Week, winners were selected at random and required to verify their healthcare status before receiving a digital burrito card.
• Cinnabon has offered free classic cinnamon rolls to nurses showing valid ID at participating locations during Nurses Week.
• Dunkin' has provided free medium coffees (hot or iced) on National Nurses Day (May 6) at participating locations.
• Insomnia Cookies has offered free classic cookies to nurses.
• Waterloo Sparkling Water gave away 500 free 8-pack or 12-pack case coupons to nurses and healthcare workers for Nurses Week.

Apparel and Footwear Offers

Several companies specializing in clothing and footwear have offered free products or significant discounts to nurses during the pandemic and Nurses Week.

• Crocs has given away free shoes to healthcare workers Monday-Friday at noon on their website. The number of free pairs was limited each day. The sign-up process required work email, state, facility name, shoe preferences, and shipping information.
• Kizik Shoes donated 1,000 free pairs of hands-free shoes to nurses and doctors fighting COVID-19. Recipients needed to fill out a form on the Kizik webpage, with the form closing on April 24 at 11:59pm MT. Selected recipients were contacted by May 1.
• Dungarees offered free shipping on orders over $55 to contiguous U.S. addresses during Nurses Week 2020.
• Medisave provided Harmony nursing shoes for $39.99 with free shipping on orders over $49.
• Shoes.com offered 25% sitewide with code SPRING25 at checkout, though this code expired May 1, 2020.
• The North Face provided a 50% discount to healthcare workers until December 31.

Educational Resources

Several organizations have offered free educational resources to support professional development among nurses during the pandemic.

• Nursing CE Central offered three free nursing continuing education courses: Alzheimer's Nursing Care CEU, Coronavirus Nursing CEU, and Pain and Symptom Management CEU.
• Intelycare provided a 100% free COVID-19 Nurse Training Certification for nursing professionals, which included one free contact hour upon completion.

Health and Wellness Products

Various companies have donated health and wellness products to support nurses during the pandemic.

• Masks by Decor8 Interiors provided free masks to healthcare workers. Due to overwhelming demand, shipping dates were approximately 9 weeks from the date of request.
• JINS Eyewear offered healthcare workers a chance to win free glasses by entering their details on the company's website. Due to overwhelming response, JINS changed the offer to select 5 people per day for this freebie.
• Silvert's offered $10 off purchases over $50 through their referral program.

Technology and Electronics Discounts

Some technology companies have provided discounts on their products to nurses and healthcare workers.

• Samsung offered exclusive discounts during National Nurses Month in 2021, with savings up to 30% on smartphones, tablets, and other products. Nurses and first responders needed to sign up for Samsung's First Responder Discount Program and verify their identity at checkout to access these deals.

Additional Retail Discounts

Several other retailers have provided special offers for nurses during Nurses Week and the pandemic:

• PinMart offered coupon codes for discounts: PINMART5 for $5 off orders of $49 or more, PINMART10 for $10 off orders of $99 or more, and PINMART20 for $20 off orders of $199 or more.
• Redding Medical offered nursing kits starting at $37.50 with no coupon required.
• Scrub Shopper provided free shipping on orders over $100 with no coupon code required.
• Nike offered a 20% discount for eligible medical professionals and first responders.
• Waterloo Sparkling Water gave away free case coupons to nurses and healthcare workers.

How to Access These Offers

Eligibility requirements for these offers varied by company, but generally required:

1. Proof of nursing or healthcare professional status (work badge, employee ID, verification through programs like ID.me)
2. Personal information including name, contact details, and sometimes facility information
3. For specific products, preferences or sizing information
4. For some offers, completion of forms or applications by specific deadlines

Many offers were available while supplies lasted, and some companies had to modify their offerings due to overwhelming demand. Participation and offers could vary by location, with some offers being limited to specific regions or available only at participating locations.

Conclusion

During the COVID-19 pandemic and Nurses Week celebrations, numerous companies have shown appreciation for nurses and healthcare workers through free products, discounts, and special offers. These gestures of gratitude have spanned various categories including food, apparel, education, health products, and technology. While many of these offers were time-limited or subject to availability, they represent a meaningful recognition of the critical role nurses have played during the pandemic. Healthcare professionals should check with companies directly for current offers and eligibility requirements, as many appreciation programs continue to evolve.

Sources

1. List of Freebies for Nurses During the COVID-19 Crisis & Nurses Week 2020
2. National Nurses Week: Freebies and discounts for health care workers May 6 -12
3. Where to find freebies during Nurses Week 2020
4. Free & reduced-price offers for nurses
5. What freebies to expect during Nurses Week 2021
6. 40 Nurses Week Freebies, Discounts, and Deals