Penn Nursing Update - Week of March 14th

Dear Penn Nursing Students,

 

Welcome back from Spring Break! I hope you were able to use the time off to rest and recharge. Please thoroughly read the updates and recurring reminders below. Plus, there are lots of new events and activities for you to participate in this Spring!

 

Information Updates

 

    • Screening testing is now required only for those who are unvaccinated, are not yet fully vaccinated, or have not uploaded their booster information, all of whom continue to be required to test twice a week. Voluntary COVID-19 testing continues to be available for all members of the Penn community.
    • Masking is now optional in indoor public spaces on campus, with the following exceptions:
      • Masking continues to be required in classrooms until March 28.
      • Masking continues to be required in healthcare spaces (simulation lab, clinicals) and on Penn Transit.

 

  • COVID Testing:
    • Screening testing is no longer required for those who are fully up-to-date on their COVID-19 vaccines (meaning fully vaccinated and boosted).
    • Twice weekly screening testing will continue to be required for students, faculty, staff, and postdocs who are unvaccinated, not yet fully vaccinated, and those who are not yet boosted and/or have not uploaded their booster information into the appropriate system of record.

 

Reminders

  • BlueJeans Meetings: Account Access Ends June 30- Beginning Friday, July 1, 2022, BlueJeans Meetings will no longer be a centrally-supported tool for Penn users. Zoom and Microsoft Teams will become the primary supported meeting platforms at Nursing. Please read the full announcement with time-sensitive action about this change here.
  • Graduation
    • The School of Nursing Graduation Ceremony is confirmed for Monday, May 16th at 3pm at the Kimmel Center in Verizon Hall.
    • The Kimmel Center requires all guests to show proof of full COVID-19 vaccination (2 weeks past the 2nd dose of Moderna or Pfizer vaccine or 2 weeks past a dose of the J&J vaccine). Valid proof of vaccination (COVID-19 vaccine card) and a picture ID will need to be shown for entrance to the Kimmel Center. Please see this website for more information about their requirements.
    • If you are graduating this year, keep an eye out for emails from Dr. Costanzo and Kathryn Brossa that require action.
  • Penn’s Next Generation Student Systems, the new course registration platform, launched this week. In light of the launch, the periods for Summer 2022 course registration and Fall 2022 advance registration have been adjusted on the main University Academic Calendar. Please view the calendar for exact dates.

 

 

 

CONTACTING THE OAA: As a reminder, we encourage students to refer to the contact table below for the 2021-2022 academic year.

 

Who

What

FinancialAid@nursing.upenn.edu

Financial Aid Packages, Scholarships, Student Financial Concerns

Admissions@nursing.upenn.edu

Prospective Students, Submatriculation Application Inquires

Advisor@nursing.upenn.edu

Academic Policies & Procedures: Course Load, Course Selection, Academic Support & Resources, General Student Advising

Nursenet@nursing.upenn.edu

Exposure to known or presumptive COVID-19 positive persons, Nursing- specific COVID testing questions, report non-academic personal travel

Registration@nursing.upenn.edu

Course Registration Questions, Switching Clinical Sections

Compliance@nursing.upenn.edu

Clinical Compliance: Immunizations, Clearances

Sonedv@nursing.upenn.edu

Education Verification, Good Standing & Enrollment Letters, State Board & Certification Paperwork

 

Upcoming Events/Activities

 

2022 Penn Nursing Renfield Foundation Award for Global Women’s Health

Tuesday, March 29th | 3:00-5:00pm

The University of Pennsylvania, School of Nursing-Center for Global Women’s Health is pleased to invite you to the 2022 Penn Nursing Renfield Foundation Award for Global Women’s Health presentation that is taking place on March 29, 2022, from 3pm – 5pm. This year’s awardee is Gabriela Meléndez Peláez, a midwife who is receiving the award for her tireless work in addressing maternal health inequities in Guatemala. 

 

Serve on the Penn Nursing Alumni Board!

Application deadline: Friday, April 1st

The Penn Nursing Alumni Board is currently seeking to fill four student representative positions (one incoming undergraduate junior, one incoming undergraduate senior and two graduate students) whose terms will begin on July 1, 2022. 

 

Volunteer Opportunity with Be Body Positive Philly

Application deadline: Friday, April 1st

Be Body Positive Philly is a program that aims to address eating disorder risk in Philadelphia middle/high school students by introducing a preventative intervention combining a validated body positivity curriculum with an innovative near-peer mentorship model. They are seeking volunteers for the fall semester to help lead workshops in a Philadelphia public middle/high school teaching a weight-neutral and health-centered approach to self-care. 

 

I CARE Training

Saturday, April 2nd | 1:00-4:00PM

Wellness at Penn is excited to announce their next virtual I CARE session for students. I CARE is an interactive training that builds a caring community with the skills and resources to intervene in student stress, distress, and crisis. Undergrad and grad/professional students are welcome!

Students can register now at https://caps.wellness.upenn.edu/icare/

 

Raise Mental Health Awareness Through Art

In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month coming up in May, the Diversity and Inclusivity Committee is hosting an art program for the entire Nursing community to participate in. The program will give folks the opportunity to submit artwork, join a webinar and be a part of conversation about mental health. 

 

Virtual Global Health Symposium by Perelman SOM

Saturday, April 30 | 10AM-12PM

The Penn Global Surgery Group and the Penn Global Oncology Interest Group is organizing a virtual symposium about Global Surgical Oncology. It will feature Dr. André Ilbawi - the WHO Cancer Control Officer - as the keynote speaker, followed by breakout rooms featuring other notable physicians involved in global surgery and oncology. 

 

Support and Empowerment for Racial Trauma Among Black Students

Fridays from March 4th to May 6th, 2022, 2:00-3:15pm EST via BlueJeans

Student Counseling is putting together a support group for Black students at Penn to discuss experiences with racism and the impact on their mental and physical health and well-being. The group is open to undergraduate and graduate students who identify as Black/African American/part of the African Diaspora. 

 

Save the Dates: Spring 2022 Virtual Colloquia

The ONR has put together an exciting schedule of virtual colloquia taking place over the course of the semester! Meet scholars and professionals, and gain insight to the various types of work they do in the nursing field. Each seminar will touch on a different health topic from grant writing to medical technology to Medicare policy. 

 

The Office of Academic Affairs will continue to send regular email announcements in the Spring 2022 semester which can be found archived online. You can find a full listing of departmental contacts online here.

 

Enjoy your weekend!

 

Christina M. Costanzo, EdD
Assistant Dean for Admissions & Academic Affairs