3.5 minute read

HUDDLE

Good morning, Readers,

Last weekend, I visited the Andrew Wyeth exhibit—the famed American realist known for his intimate portrayals of rural life in Pennsylvania and Maine.

Wyeth painted his nurse, Helga Testorf, more than 200 times—often nude—though their existence was kept secret for years before landing on the cover of Time. Both were married, and while Wyeth denied any affair, the secrecy adds an intriguing layer. Art imitates life, right? 🤨

Today's Top Beats

🤖 Computers Read Minds
🦠 New Era of Measles

📈 Increase in Group A Streptococcus

       TNB’s CEO Tamara AL-Yassin looking for nursing facts at the Andrew Wyeth exhibit, Reynolda House, Winston-Salem, NC

HANDOFF

Computers Read Minds—Instantly

We can’t read each other’s minds, but scientists have gotten closer than ever to letting a computer read our brain signals and nearly instantly translate thoughts into speech. A new study describes the brain-computer interface that cuts out the several-second delay that past devices have had. Read how researchers developed a technology that could be life-changing for those with severe paralysis and inability to speak.

New Era of Measles? 

Until late February this year, no child in the US had died of measles in a decade. Now, less than two months later, another child has died, the third death in the outbreak, and higher than the typical fatality rate of 1-3 deaths per 1,000 infections. Is this the new normal? The US eliminated measles in 2000—the reason so many doctors have never seen it—but we’re now in danger of losing that status if vaccination rates don’t improve.

VA Nurses Flex

Nurses from the Margaret Cochran Corbin VA Campus in New York City held a rally yesterday “to demand an end to staffing cuts and attacks on federal workers’ union rights,” according to National Nurses United. The rally comes amidst the cutting of up to 80,000 VA workers and NNU lawsuits against the federal government for its moves against unions. Read why VA nurses worry about being short-staffed and the possible harms to veteran patients. 

TODAY'S TOP VITAL

128%

The increase in group A Streptococcus infections from 2013 to 2022 in 10 US states. Find out what this means for antibiotic resistance and who’s most at risk.

PRN

CARING COLLECTIVELY WITH TOGATHER

You Don’t Have to Be Strong All the Time

Being “the strong one” might look like holding it all together, but often, it means holding too much. For too long. Alone. In healthcare, where support is scarce and systems fall short, that kind of strength has a cost: burnout, resentment, and moral injury.

Collective care is how we shift the load. Here’s how to start:

👉 Take stock: Are you facing burnout or moral injury? Do a quick check-in.
👉 Speak up when they’re not in the room: Interrupt bias—whether it’s racism, transphobia, ageism, or ableism—when your colleagues can’t.
👉 Start a care pod: A small group to vent, trade tips, and stay informed.
👉 Honor boundaries: Your boundaries and theirs.
👉 Name what’s good: Acknowledge the nurse who made your shift easier.

Collective care isn’t just a nice idea. It’s how we survive—and heal—together.

💞 Here’s a practical list to get started.

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TODAY IN THE CHART

SUPPLY ROOM

Stick To It

Give your sticky notes a special home on your desk with these customizable sticky note holders.

BREAK ROOM

Survivor Madness

This clip from Survivor season 48 has been going viral as a contestant on the autism spectrum did something remarkable. Would you survive if you were on Survivor, but for nurses?

DISCHARGE INSTRUCTIONS

Curious what our top headlines were a year ago today? Check it out here!

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