How The Nursing Beat Founders Tamara AL-Yassin and Hannah Berns Created a One-Of-A-Kind Nursing Community

Tamara AL-Yassin, MBA, BSN, RN, CEN, PHN and Hannah W. Berns, MHCI, BSN, RN CEN, CPEN, TCRN

“If it wasn't documented, it wasn't done.”

This nursing adage holds true beyond the bedside. Assuming that over five million nurses and nursing assistants nationwide have a sufficient support system isn’t enough. The Nursing Beat documents a corner of the internet where over 27,000 nurses tune in to edify their nursing practice and experience professional camaraderie.

The Nursing Beat (TNB) is a weekday newsletter that features content from nurses of all backgrounds and specialties. TNB publishes daily collections of news and contributions ranging from viral nursing stories, professional profiles, nursing tips, social issues in nursing, and everything in between.

Though TNB has come a long way, it started with two nurses and a goal to unite and empower the nursing community.

Two Intersecting Nursing Journeys

Both new nursing school grads in 2012, Tamara AL-Yassin and Hannah Berns met in an urban California hospital, doing what all new employees do: signing onboarding paperwork in the HR department. They became fast friends and worked for several years together in the emergency room.

The COVID-19 pandemic marked a new chapter in their nursing careers. AL-Yassin and Berns created a business named The Acknowledgment Collective LLC, where they conceived a COVID Warrior enamel pin to honor everyone writing their own story during the pandemic. All proceeds from pin sales were donated to Feeding America, recognizing the financial hardships faced by many due to the pandemic's impact.

At the height of their business, they landed a contract with the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) with a desire to secure a pin for every ER nurse in California.

Through working together, AL-Yassin and Berns discovered their passion for running a business that supported both the general public and the nursing community. They each decided to return to school to pursue higher education. AL-Yassin earned an MBA from the University of Southern California, and Berns received a degree in health care innovation from the University of Pennsylvania. A motivating factor in attaining their advanced degrees was understanding how health care intersects with and impacts other industries. They both believe that knowledge is power for those who want to create change in nursing.

Berns has since served as president of ENA’s San Francisco Bay Area Chapter in 2020, adjunct faculty for the University of San Francisco, and an expert practice consultant for the California Board of Registered Nursing. She is now the chief operating officer at TNB. AL-Yassin is the immediate past president of ENA, a keynote speaker, consultant, health care advocate, and now TNB ’s chief executive officer (CEO) .

The Birth of The Nursing Beat

The Nursing Beat wasn’t always the beloved newsletter it is today. In school, AL-Yassin had a mentor who introduced her to a startup newsletter company, Florence Health. AL-Yassin decided to shift her career focus and become the company’s CEO. Berns started as an editor at the same company and later moved into an executive role.

Shortly after, AL-Yassin and Berns spearheaded the newsletter's rebrand to The Nursing Beat (TNB). This pivot aligned with their professional backgrounds while catapulting the publication to a new era.

A Publication for Every Nurse

TNB aims to inform, connect, and empower every nurse by balancing entertaining short-form content with relevant nursing news. Today, TNB is the only digital daily newsletter on the market for nurses. This distinction has garnered recognition from publications such as Healthcare Brew, Fast Company, Medscape, Minority Nurse, and more.

There is a nurse at every level of The Nursing Beat, from the board of directors and executive team to the editorial team and content contributors. In addition to highlighting nursing voices, AL-Yassin and Berns believe that collaborating, outsourcing, and nurturing talent has made TNB a stand-out publication that nurses across the nation are eager to read every weekday.

Historically, nurses have been misunderstood and reduced to characters in medically inaccurate TV dramas or Halloween costumes. TNB is the antithesis to those depictions, serving as a comprehensive platform to address the diverse and unique needs of nurses from all specialties and geographical areas.

TNB is a robust nursing community hub, where nurses can find relevant information, connect with their peers, continue their professional growth, and make a lasting impact in health care.

Inspiring Nurses, Connecting Communities

AL-Yassin and Berns created the COVID Warrior pin to serve as a testament to every nurse’s story. TNB is here to bring those stories to life.