News Archives

New Appointment for Hodgson

November 23 -

Nancy A. Hodgson, PhD, RN, FAAN, the Anthony Buividas Term Chair in Gerontology and Professor of Nursing, will be the next chair of the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing’s (Penn Nursing) Department of Biobehavioral Health Sciences (BHS), effective January 1, 2021.

Dean Antonia Villarruel to Receive 2020 Globy Award

November 13 -

The Global Philadelphia Association uses the award to recognize international significant achievements of Philadelphia leaders in medicine and business entrepreneurship. Penn Nursing Dean Antonia Villarruel is one of five recipients to be honored this year during the virtual 2020 Globy Awards celebration on December 14, 2020.

Racial Disparities in Pediatric Diabetes Treatment

November 12 -

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is the third most common pediatric chronic disease in the United States, and the risk of the disease has risen sharply in non-Hispanic Black (NHB) children in the last 20 years, data show. Ironically, the significant advances in T1D therapeutics over recent years, especially new technologies, may have exacerbated racial disparities in diabetes treatment and outcomes.

Humans of Penn Nursing: Leah Geoghegan, HNP, AGNP-C, Nu’14, GNu’18

November 10 - After graduating from Penn Nursing in 2014, I moved to NYC and started my career as a staff nurse at NYU Langone Health in Manhattan.

How the Pandemic Disrupts Breastfeeding Experiences

November 5 -

The COVID-19 pandemic and the implications of physical distancing have disrupted new mothers’ birth and breastfeeding experiences even if they are not COVID-19 positive or a person awaiting results. In a new case series report from the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing (Penn Nursing), researchers share common concerns and experiences as reported by three first-time, healthy mothers regarding the disruption of their birth plans and breastfeeding experiences.

Humans of Penn Nursing: Ingred Prince, RN, BSN, Nu’16

November 5 - I fell in love with storytelling at Penn. The African American Arts Alliance (4A) birthed this love for me. With my 4A family, I acted in plays, directed musicals, built sets, and balanced budgets. We told stories that were Black.

Community Immersion as Distance Learning

November 2 -

Community immersion classes are central to teaching nursing students about social determinants of health. But what happens when on-site engagement is suspended due to a pandemic?

Penn Nursing’s Innovation Ecosystem

October 28 -

In the past five years, the School has been intentional about creating an environment that rewards risk-taking and supports failures. It’s led to story slams and accelerators and a shift to an innovation-centric mindset.

Penn Nursing’s Maria Torchia LoGrippo is a 2020 NLN Academy of Nursing Education Fellow

October 26 -

The National League for Nursing Academy of Nursing Education fosters excellence in nursing education by recognizing and capitalizing on the wisdom of outstanding individuals in and outside the profession who have contributed to nursing education in sustained and significant ways.

Amy Gutmann and Michael Doyle Create Gutmann Leadership Scholars Program at Penn Nursing with $2M Gift

October 20 -

University of Pennsylvania President Amy Gutmann and her husband, Michael Doyle, have a made a $2 million gift to the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing’s Innovating for Life and Living Campaign, as part of the University’s Power of Penn Campaign. The gift, which brings the couple’s total giving to Penn to $4.5 million, will create the Gutmann Leadership Scholars Program at Penn Nursing.

Matthew D. McHugh Elected for Membership to the National Academy of Medicine

October 19 - Matthew D. McHugh, PhD, JD, MPH, RN, FAAN, has been elected to the National Academy of Medicine (NAM). Dr. McHugh is the Independence Chair for Nursing Education and Professor of Nursing at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, Associate Director of the Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research, and Senior Fellow of the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics.

Krista Pinola Appointed Vice Chair of the Penn Nursing Board of Advisors

October 13 - Effective immediately, Krista Pinola has been appointed by the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania as Vice Chair of the Penn Nursing Board of Advisors.

Humans of Penn Nursing: Katie Woo Castelo, MSN, CPNP-PC, Nu’06, GNu’08

October 9 - “I am a pediatric nurse practitioner at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia in the Emergency Department and I teach undergraduate nursing students. I have been writing encouraging messages with my children to healthcare workers during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Missouri Foundation for Health Joins National Study on Replication of Penn Nursing’s Transitional Care Model

October 8 - The Missouri Foundation for Health is co-funding the replication and rigorous examination of the outcomes of the Transitional Care Model at the VA St. Louis Health Care System that is part of the national MIRROR-TCM study. Earlier this year, Arnold Ventures awarded a $6 million grant in support of the study at four large health systems, including the Veterans Health Administration.

15-Year Trend Persists in Disparate Insulin Pump Use in Children

October 1 -

Insulin pumps are widely used in the management of type 1 diabetes (T1D) and reviews have shown insulin pump therapy to be associated with improved glycemic control, fewer severe hypoglycemia events, and improved quality of life. Yet, non-Hispanic white children (NHW) are more than twice as likely as non-Hispanic Black children (NHB) to use this technology.

Can Mobile Technology Offer New Pathways to Improve Recovery For Patients Who Experience Serious Traumatic Injuries?

September 29 -

Serious traumatic injuries are a health event that can begin a trajectory toward chronic health and social challenges. Research on patient outcomes following traumatic injuries establishes the pervasive nature of injuries’ long-term consequences in physical, psychological, social and economic well-being, which may persist months and even years after an injury hospitalization. In light of this research, emerging interventions have targeted enhanced and coordinated healthcare services to support recovery and address patients’ long-term rehabilitative needs.

Nursing Student Volunteers Play Critical Role at Campus COVID-19 Testing Site

September 25 -

For two weeks, 37 fourth-year nursing students checked people in, conducted screenings, and swabbed noses, contributing to the more than 13,000 tests completed at Houston Hall since early August.

Ensuring an Ethical Path to a ‘Warp Speed’ Vaccine

September 22 -

Penn scholars, including Penn Nursing’s Alison Buttenheim, PhD, consider the ethical implications of the development and allocation of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Susan Krause Flavin, PhD, RN, Nu’18,

September 17 - I was a relatively new nurse, perhaps two years out of my hospital-based RN diploma program. I was working in a very fast-paced cardiothoracic ICU in Philadelphia.

Preparing Future Clinicians to Intervene in Opioid Crisis

September 17 -

Opioid use disorder and overdose have reached unprecedented levels around the world. In the United States, remediation of pain is one of the most common reasons American adults seek healthcare. Therefore, it is vital that clinicians practicing in diverse roles and settings have a clinical understanding of pain and substance use disorders as well as knowledge about public health and opioid policy interventions.

Antonia M. Villarruel Reappointed Dean of the Penn School of Nursing

September 15 -

The announcement was made today by Penn President Amy Gutmann and Provost Wendell Pritchett.

Virtual Reality Trains Public to Reverse Opioid Overdoses

September 14 -

The United States has seen a 200% increase in the rate of deaths by opioid overdose in the last 20 years. But many of these deaths were preventable. Naloxone, also called Narcan, is a prescription drug that reverses opioid overdoses, and in more than 40 states — including Pennsylvania — there is a standing order policy, which makes it available to anyone, without an individual prescription from a healthcare provider.

American Academy of Nursing Announces New Fellows

September 11 -

Eighteen nursing professionals, including Penn Nursing alumni, will be inducted as 2020 Fellows of the American Academy of Nursing (AAN). All of the inductees will be honored at the Academy’s Transforming Health, Driving Policy conference to be held virtually October 29-31, 2020. 

Dismantling Structural Racism in Nursing

September 9 -

Confronting the uncomfortable reality of systemic racism – the system that creates and maintains racial inequality in every facet of life for people of color – is having a national heyday. But calling out this injustice and doing something about it are two different things.

Sophia Busacca, BSN, RN, CNRN, Nu’18

September 9 - Hello to my friends, professors, alumni, and mentors. As our University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing community continues to fight the Covid-19 pandemic, it is cathartic and great to share my thoughts with a group who groomed me. Lately, to find solace and light in these times, I have developed a list of little “nuggets of joy” that keep me focused on fighting for love in the world.

State Laws Key to HIV Prevention Efforts

September 8 - HIV prevention remains a public health priority in the United States. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a drug regimen recommended for individuals who have engaged in behaviors that place them at elevated risk for HIV. When used consistently, daily oral PrEP has been shown to reduce HIV transmission by 99 percent. However, despite increases in PrEP awareness and uptake over the past several years, data show that four of five people who could benefit from PrEP did not access the medication in 2018.

New Director of Penn Nursing’s Center for Global Women’s Health

September 2 -

Holly Harner, PhD, has been appointed the Afaf I. Meleis Director of the Center for Global Women’s Health (CGWH). She recently joined Penn Nursing as a Practice Professor of Women’s Health in the Department of Family and Community Health. Harner has a national reputation as a leading clinician, educator, and champion of women’s health, with a long-standing commitment to improving the health status of vulnerable women.

Welcome to the New Academic Year, 2020-2021 from Dean Antonia M. Villarruel

August 26 -

Dear Colleagues–welcome back to Penn Nursing! This is a semester like no other. While our day-to-day operations may look different, our mission—to make a significant impact on health by advancing science, promoting equity, demonstrating practice excellence, and preparing leaders in the discipline of nursing—remains steadfast. 

Sara Cerreta, BSN, RN, CCRN, Nu’18,

August 25 -

In my undergraduate experience at Penn, even from the very beginning, we learned about family-centered care, and how to incorporate our patients and their families into every aspect of the medical care they receive.