(NewsUSA) - The heroic efforts of frontline health care workers throughout the COVID-19 pandemic merit ongoing recognition and gratitude. Nurse educators also continue to play a key role by supporting and promoting the work of nurses, who deliver everything from lifesaving emergency services to end-of-life care.

To recognize and celebrate the essential role of nursing education during the pandemic and beyond, the National League for Nursing has declared 2022 as the Year of the Nurse Educator.

Throughout the year, the League will spotlight nurse educators teaching in academic and clinical settings and showcase their contributions to innovative primary and preventive care models in underserved communities.

For example, the #BeyondANurseEducator social media campaign promotes the vital role of nursing education in advancing the nursing profession and patient care. This campaign runs through September and will include monthly recognition of nurse educators based on nominations from students and academic leadership.

The pandemic highlighted the shortage of nurses, but the key to reversing this shortage is to increase the numbers of nurse educators -- those who teach nursing students how to become nurses.

Encouraging more nurses to consider career shifts into nursing education is the best way to ensure a consistent flow of qualified nurses into the health care system. As a result of the pandemic, many nursing education programs moved to online platforms, which expanded the options for nurses who want to pursue careers as nurse educators.

Nurses are now able to earn their master's in nursing or education online, which helps prevent loss of income from taking time off to take classes, and also reduces the need for student loans or moving to attend classes at a distant campus. Nurses can then become Certified Nurse Educators, the badge of expertise in this advanced specialty area of practice.

The demand for nurses, and therefore for nurse educators, is likely to remain high. Nurse educators are in a unique position to make an impact by inspiring nurses in training and by promoting public health through work in schools, businesses, hospitals and community agencies.

Other reasons to become a nurse educator include the intellectual stimulation of knowing the latest research in the field, greater autonomy and flexible schedules, including options for remote teaching, and the sense of purpose that comes with advancing the next generation of nurses and making a difference in the future of nursing.

For more information, visit NLN.org.

(NewsUSA) - One in four American adults suffers from chronic knee pain, so an accessible, non-surgical solution should come as welcome news.

A recent study out of UCLA indicates that GDEFY® medically engineered shoes could be that solution. In fact, study participants wearing the GDEFY shoes with patented VersoShock® technology reported an average reduction in knee pain of 85%, as well as significant decreases in other common conditions.

A double-blind, randomized study conducted at Olive View UCLA Medical Center, recently published in the Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association, shows that wearing shoes with VersoShock soles decreases knee pain by up to 85% vs. wearing shoes with conventional soles during prolonged standing and walking. After five weeks, participants using the GDEFY intervention sole shoe -- with shock-absorbing VersoShock technology -- reported an average reduction in knee pain of 85%, significantly better than participants using the traditional sole shoe (P < .01), whose average pain scores increased. Also observed were positive effects on back, ankle and foot pain in those with the intervention sole shoe, compared with the traditional sole shoe.

Alexander Elnekaveh founded Gravity Defyer Medical Technology Corporation in 2008 after his 14-year-old nephew was diagnosed with a cancerous growth in his heel. Even after successful heel surgery, physical therapy and help from leading doctors in pain management, Elnekaveh's nephew had little chance of walking pain-free again. But Elnekaveh, an inventor, wasn't satisfied with that prognosis, so he assembled a team of top podiatrists, physical therapists, biochemical and material engineers (Impact Research Technology Group) to help him develop the first Gravity Defyer (GDEFY) shoe with VersoShock technology.

"Our mission is to maximize comfort and boost performance for people who have foot biomechanics that keep them from walking properly and to enable normal pronation," says Elnekaveh.

"This study proves what we've known all along: that our breakthrough VersoShock technology provides the ultimate pain relief in a way no other shoe can."

To accommodate customers at work, home and play, GDEFY men's and women's footwear comes in several styles, widths and sizes. All shoes come with a polyurethane removable insole to adjust to one's comfort preference.

GDEFY footwear is available online at www.gdefy.com or in GDEFY stores throughout the country, as well as in most premium independent shoe retailers, including The Walking Company, Nordstrom, DSW and Dillard's. GDEFY continues to expand its presence, bringing pain-relieving footwear closer to feet everywhere.

(NewsUSA) - Now more than ever, we worry about maintaining our good health, and we are especially concerned about having a strong immune system that can take on all types of infections.

TheraBreath, the world's leading dentist-founded oral health care brand, feels the same way. With their brand-new product, TheraBreath Immunity Support Oral Spray, they are doing their part to provide a quick and easy way for everyone-young and old -- to keep their immune systems working at their best.

TheraBreath Immunity Support Oral Spray is especially powerful because it helps boost your immunity in several ways. It contains extracts from acerola (a form of cherry) and also elderberry. Both of these fruits have strong antioxidant properties and are often used in immunity-boosting products. Elderberry in particular has a long history of use in health and healing going back to ancient Greek times.

"Our TheraBreath Immunity Support Oral Spray Supplement is an easy and tasty way to get the benefits of a multi-vitamin supplement and boost your immune system against the cold, the flu, and other airborne infections," says CEO and founder, Dr. Harold Katz, a dentist with an additional degree in bacteriology.

The spray also contains vitamin C, vitamin E, zinc, and copper. This combination of infection-fighters lines up to help muster your body's best natural defenses against illness. The spray contains no artificial colors or dyes, and it is certified vegan and gluten-free, as well as NSF certified, with a cherry lemonade flavor that appeals to all ages.

Use TheraBreath Immunity Support Oral Spray as needed throughout the day. The small bottle is easy to tuck into a purse, pocket, or backpack, so it is easy to stay healthy on the go as you resume activities.

Everyone has come to appreciate just how important it is to have a healthy immune system, not only in the winter months, but all year round, whether you are going to work, going to school, or just going to the grocery store. Airborne infections are always with us, but keeping a science-based, immune-strengthening product in your personal health toolkit can help keep you and your family safe and well.

Visit TheraBreath.com for more information about TheraBreath Immunity Support Oral Spray and other products in the TheraBreath family of oral health care. All TheraBreath products come with a money-back guarantee.

(NewsUSA) - The ongoing coronavirus pandemic continues to keep many children out of preschool nationwide, due to school closures or to parents' concerns about sending their children to the in-person learning options that are available.

These children, who are not attending preschool, will enter kindergarten next year without the benefits of a formal education experience and lacking the foundational skills that promote success in school. In Texas, for example, data show that pre-kindergarten enrollment is down by 8 to 12 percent, according to an October 5, 2020, article in the Dallas Morning News. It's a trend in many school districts around the country. An Education Week Research Center survey of nearly 500 district leaders and principals found more than half are seeing a decline in kindergarten enrollment.

The changing school environment has led to a re-assessment of how to provide essential early childhood education.

Learning Without Tears, an EdTech company that has provided pre-K writing and educational materials to parents and teachers for more than 30 years, has developed "Get Set for School" (GSS), an award-winning complete pre-kindergarten curriculum, to meet the needs of preschoolers in home-based, hybrid, and in-school learning environments.

The dual language English-Spanish program is designed to help preschool-aged children reach their important early learning milestones, while keeping them engaged and having fun. The program combines purposeful play, multimodal-multisensory activities, and digital apps and teaching tools.

"Pre-K should be fun and joyful while full of learning that results in children feeling confident about themselves and their abilities," says Dr. Elizabeth DeWitt, an early childhood expert at the center of GSS.

Get Set for School stands out from other preschool programs in part because it is truly age-appropriate, says Dr. DeWitt. "GSS is unique because we go beyond other Pre-K curricula with our research-based focus on the fine motor development of young children," she explains.

"The children build and form letters based on the development of writing strokes and use a different manipulative daily while learning each letter as they progress from building to writing before they are expected or asked to write on paper." Readiness & Writing, an element of GSS, addresses any weakness in writing letters and numbers, alphabet knowledge, as well as connecting printed numbers to quantities.

In addition, the program's interactive Sound Around Letters app allows children to identify, match, and say capital and lowercase letters and receive instant feedback to promote progress and boost confidence. Multi-modality resources allow children with different learning styles to use an engaging animated touch screen to learn number and letter formations.

"We are more committed than ever to ensuring that children are learning whether they are in the classroom or at home," Dr. DeWitt emphasizes. "To equip and support parents and teachers, we have added more videos and distance learning resources to assist with using our unique and exclusive materials in any setting.

Visit LWTears.com for more information about Get Set for School and Readiness & Writing.

(NU) 

“The Beirut Protocol ”
by Joel C. Rosenberg

  Trapped behind enemy lines. Brutally tortured and threatened with death. And the worst is yet to come. Special agent Marcus Ryker has spent his whole life protecting others, but this time his own life is in danger.

  When a routine advance trip along the Israeli-Lebanese border goes wrong, American operatives are ambushed and captured by a rogue Hezbollah special forces team. If Marcus and his colleagues are tortured and executed on live television, the president will have to enter another war he likely can't win.

Marcus faces a life-or-death battle, and the odds of survival are narrowing. Escape seems impossible. Rescue is a fading hope. This is the CIA’s most valuable operative as you have never seen him before. Purchase at https://amzn.to/35Po5Ci.

“First Dog on Earth”
by  Irv Weinberg

  “Heartwarming story about relationships among people and dogs.”

  At the dawn of civilization, a wolf dog befriends an old hunter and revives his alpha powers among his human tribe. Together with the animal’s pack, they discover a new way of life -- a shared odyssey of survival and trust that grows into the most successful partnership the Earth has ever known, changing dogs and humans forever.

  This is the poetic story of how civilization progresses all because of the abilities the dogs bring the tribe. How does the greatest love story in history begin? With a leap into the unknown. “Like no other book you've read!” Purchase at http://amzn.to/38pfW8j.

“How to Train Your Hooman: A Field Guide”
by  Gwen Romack

   This is the lighthearted and funny read we so desperately need in these not-so-light-hearted times – and the perfect Mother’s Day gift for those dog-loving moms. 

  Follow this unique story told by an extraordinary dog, Finn. He’s irreverent, funny, and full of sass. Based on his real life, join Finn as he issues weekly reports back to K9 Rescue Headquarters on the strange behaviors and rituals of his rescue-“hoomans.”

  With sarcastic wit, he observes the curious world around him, heroically saves his unwitting hoomans from dangers (see also: evil electric toothbrush), and shares his musings about the often-lackluster level of service he feels he receives. Purchase at https://amzn.to/3bzqKDV.

“Waxing Pathetic ”
by M. B. Clark

  Waxing Pathetic is a sardonic, often hilarious, raging stream of consciousness from one mad American woman. From the pathetic to the political, the lunatic to the poetic, Clark's memoir is a masterwork of dry wit and piercing observation. 

  From Been Down This Road, where she relates her high school dating history, to This is Real...and Surreal, where she takes down some pathetic politics, Clark merges real events with dream-state fiction that evokes deeper truths hidden in memories. Waxing Pathetic will leave you breathless as you are taken down roads not taken by most American women. Purchase at https://amzn.to/3aTrCT3.

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(NewsUSA) - (NewsUSA)

"Sarana and the Dark King "
by Ivy Keating

The ruthless king of Bounten controlled a Valomere - a magical creature that connects with one person and obeys their commands - with the magic to cause instant death. To further his power, he embarked on a quest to find tarilium, the strongest metal known to exist. 

In pursuit of the precious resource, he ravaged his own villages before planning to invade the other kingdoms. Only one thing could stop his reign of terror -- a commoner with a secret past and a powerful Valomere of her own. Purchase at https://amzn.to/3d537Cz.

"The Trial of Billy the Kid"
by David G. Thomas

Biographies of Billy the Kid have provided extensive -- and fascinating -- details on his life, but only a few paragraphs on his trial for murder and the events leading up to that trial. The result sealed his fate, yet Billy's trial is the least written about, and, until this book, the least known event of Billy's adult life.

For the first time, get the answers to these questions: Was the trial fair? What were the charges? What kind of defense did Billy present? Did he have witnesses standing for him? Who testified against him? What action by the trial judge virtually guaranteed his conviction? Purchase at https://amzn.to/3vBFOse.

"Lake Roland"
by C. Roloson Reese

Some childhood mysteries cast long shadows. Tom O'Malley spent a lifetime trying to escape the one covering his world. His idyllic childhood with his inseparable pal, Mark, is upended when his friend mysteriously disappears one night.

Mark's whereabouts become a decades-long unsolvable question that haunts Tom's world as he copes with and later overcomes the bitterness of a friendship's baffling evaporation. The anguish he experiences prepares him well for a world filled with uncertainties, not the least of which includes love and redemption. Purchase at https://bit.ly/3ehdaGl.

"Purpose and Possibilities: How to Transform Your Life"
by Elaine J. Brzycki and Henry G. Brzycki

By exploring their life's purposes, the authors have created possibilities for people to create happy, healthy, and flourishing lives. Because of the work, people in over 50 countries are prioritizing mental health and well-being in their own individual lives, their families, schools, colleges and universities, and communities. Ideas on how to see and achieve your unique potentials in life; heal yourself from past traumas; transition to a new stage in life that is thriving and successful; connect with your innate passion to make a unique difference; see and feel the power of your hopes and dreams.

This book meets the needs of our times for impactful mental health and well-being techniques. Capturing nearly 40 years of counseling expertise and course and program development for individuals, couples, families, and schools, Elaine and Henry Brzycki have produced a book of resources that will transform your life. Purchase at https://amzn.to/3uzrwY4.

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