National Nurses Week, observed annually from May 6 through May 12, serves as a designated period for various businesses and retailers to express appreciation to nursing professionals. In 2015, the landscape of available offers included a mix of food and beverage discounts, retail incentives, and promotional events. However, information regarding these offers often circulated through social media and deal aggregation sites, leading to confusion and the spread of outdated or incorrect promotions. This article provides a detailed overview of verified freebies and discounts available during the 2015 National Nurses Week, distinguishing between confirmed offers and widely circulated misinformation.
Confirmed Food and Beverage Offers
Several dining establishments and coffee chains participated in the 2015 celebrations, offering free items or significant discounts to nurses who presented valid identification.
Cinnabon Participating Cinnabon locations nationwide offered a free Cinnabon Classic Roll, MiniBon roll, or a four-piece order of BonBites to nurses presenting a valid healthcare ID badge. This promotion was valid from May 6 through May 12, 2015, and was subject to availability while supplies lasted. The availability of this offer varied by location, requiring nurses to contact their local Cinnabon bakery to confirm participation before visiting.
Larkburger The West Coast burger chain Larkburger provided specific day-based offers during the week. On Tuesday, May 5, 2015, teachers received a free small burger. On Wednesday, May 6, 2015, nurses were eligible for the same offer. The promotion was strictly limited to one free burger per order and was valid only for dine-in transactions. It could not be combined with other promotions. Redemption required a valid nursing badge or a district-issued teacher ID.
Cool Beans Based in North Carolina, the coffee shop Cool Beans - Coffee, Custard And More offered nurses and teachers a free cup of coffee during the week. Additionally, they provided discounted specialty drinks—including lattes, frappes, smoothies, milkshakes, and sundaes—for $2.99.
Corner Bakery Cafe From May 4 through May 8, 2015, Corner Bakery Cafe offered free coffee to nurses and other healthcare professionals.
Fazoli’s Fazoli’s offered nurses wearing scrubs a free Twisted Trio entrée with the purchase of a drink at participating locations from May 6 through May 12, 2015. This offer required the presentation of a healthcare ID badge. The chain also planned to surprise nurses at various children’s hospitals with meals during this period.
Great American Cookie From May 2 through May 6, 2015, Great American Cookie offered a free Original Chocolate Chip Cookie with any purchase to teachers and nurses.
Checker’s and Rally’s Checker’s and Rally’s offered a free meal to nurses who showed up in their uniforms at any location during National Nurses Week.
Circle K Circle K provided free coffee, tea, or Polar Pop drinks to frontline workers during the celebration.
Dunkin’ Donuts (Clarification on Misinformation) Significant social media activity in 2015 promoted a free iced coffee offer at Dunkin’ Donuts for nurses. However, Dunkin’ Donuts officially confirmed that this specific promotion was a hoax and that they were not participating in National Nurses Week with a free iced coffee offer in 2015. The viral post referenced a promotion that had occurred in previous years and was no longer valid. While Dunkin’ Donuts did not offer a specific Nurses Week freebie in 2015, they maintained their standard DD Perks rewards program, which allowed customers to earn points toward free beverages.
Retail and Service Discounts
Beyond food and beverage, several retailers and service providers offered discounts or free services to nursing professionals.
J. Estella NY The Etsy store J. Estella NY offered free shipping on cell phone purses to nurses during the 2015 celebration period.
Skechers, The Good Feet Store, and Sockwell These footwear and accessory retailers were noted for offering deals specifically targeting nurses, likely focusing on comfort for professionals who spend long hours on their feet.
McAlister’s Deli In a promotion observed in the year prior to 2015 (referenced in source data regarding historical offers), McAlister’s Deli provided free tea to nurses who visited between May 3 and May 7 with a badge or ID. While this specific date range pertained to a previous year, it indicates the chain's historical participation in the event.
AAA Nurses who were members of AAA were noted as eligible for discounts on auto insurance.
Promotional Events and Contests
Several organizations hosted contests, sweepstakes, or fundraising efforts during the 2015 National Nurses Week.
Medical Solutions Medical Solutions hosted a celebration at WeLoveOurNurses.com featuring "The Real Nurses of Nurses Week" photo gallery. Participants had the chance to win prizes such as Amazon and Tafford Uniforms gift cards ranging from $25 to $100. The organization also held an Annual Nurses of Tomorrow Scholarship Contest, awarding three $2,000 scholarships. Additional activities included Nurses Week eCards and a team fundraising effort for Nurses House, a national fund for nurses in need.
NurseEyeRoll.com This site hosted a giveaway featuring Nabee socks, Nurse Watches, and signed copies of the books "The Nurses" and "Becoming Nursey."
The Right Solutions The Right Solutions hosted a Nurses Month Luau with prizes including an Apple iPad Air 2, Amazon Fire TV, and Visa gift cards.
Discovery Life Channel The channel took nominations for a chance to win a walk-on role in "Untold Stories of the ER," a trip for two to Vancouver, British Columbia, and $500 in spending cash.
Diversity Nursing Diversity Nursing conducted its annual $5,000 Education Award giveaway.
Chipotle Chipotle offered healthcare professionals a chance to win free burritos. Participants could sign up for a free coupon at healthcare.chipotle.com. Winners were to be notified during the week of May 13, 2015, and healthcare employment verification was required.
Important Considerations for Nurses
When seeking to redeem offers during National Nurses Week, there are several procedural and eligibility requirements that nurses should be aware of based on the 2015 offers.
Identification Requirements The vast majority of offers required proof of employment. A valid healthcare ID badge was the standard form of identification requested by restaurants and retailers. For the Larkburger offer, specific instructions noted the requirement of a "district issued" teacher ID for teachers, suggesting a strict adherence to official employment credentials.
Geographic and Location Variations Offers were not universally available at all locations. Cinnabon explicitly noted that participation varied by bakery, necessitating a call ahead to local stores. Similarly, offers from chains like Larkburger (West Coast based) and Cool Beans (North Carolina based) were geographically limited.
Purchase Requirements While some offers were strictly "no purchase necessary" (e.g., Dunkin’ Donuts coffee in previous years, though not in 2015), others required a purchase to trigger the freebie. For example, Fazoli’s required the purchase of a drink to receive a free entrée, and Great American Cookie required any purchase to receive a free cookie.
Timing and Validity Strict date ranges applied to most promotions. For instance, the Larkburger offer was valid only on May 6, 2015, while Cinnabon’s offer spanned the entire week (May 6–12). Offers were typically valid only while supplies lasted, meaning early arrival was often necessary to guarantee availability.
Conclusion
The 2015 National Nurses Week featured a diverse array of offers ranging from free food to educational scholarships. However, the environment surrounding these freebies was complicated by the prevalence of outdated or fabricated promotions on social media, exemplified by the viral Dunkin’ Donuts iced coffee hoax. Nurses seeking to take advantage of these opportunities were advised to rely on verified news sources and direct inquiries with retailers to confirm participation, identification requirements, and specific terms of use.