News Archives

Scaling the Model of Care for Patients with Opioid Use Disorder

August 3 -

Data show that concurrent with the opioid overdose crisis, there has been an increase in hospitalizations of people with opioid use disorder (OUD). One in ten of these hospitalized medical or surgical patients have comorbid opioid-related diagnoses.

Penn Nursing Offering Free Online Transitional Care Course to Clinicians

August 2 -

Penn Nursing is offering a free course on transitional care, “Advancing High Quality Care: The Transitional Care Model”. The course – being offered for free now through December 31, 2021 – is designed for nurses and other health care professionals seeking to improve care systems through application of the Transitional Care Model (TCM). TCM is proven in multiple NIH funded clinical trials to improve the health outcomes of older adults coping with complex care needs while reducing health care costs. This introductory learning opportunity connects clinicians and clinical leaders with the evidence to advance meaningful and measurable change in their organizations and communities. Click here to learn more and register. Use code ASPIRE21TCM (case sensitive) to access the course for free.

Humans of Penn Nursing: Kelsey Greco, Nu’23

July 26 - “The monitors in the patient rooms on the Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit at Duke Medical Pavilion all look roughly the same. At the bottom, there might be a cardiac index or a cardiac output value.

Structural Racism and Inequitable Pediatric Diabetes Care

July 26 -

Data show racial disparities in type 1 diabetes treatment and outcomes in non-Hispanic Black (NHB) children in the US. NHB children are less likely to be treated with diabetes technology, have poorer glycemic control and higher rates of diabetes complications and diabetes-related mortality than non-Hispanic white children. There is much to be done to ensure equitable care, but as yet, structural racism has not been a focus.

National Academy of Medicine - Principles and Attributes for Identifying Credible Sources of Health Information in Social Media

July 16 - The authors of a new NAM Perspectives discussion paper, including Penn Nursing’s Dean Antonia M. Villarruel, developed a set of initial principles and attributes that could inform social media platforms’ (SMPs) identification and possible elevation of credible sources of health information.

Steven Graham, Nu’23

July 13 - “As Penn Nursing students, we are taught the fundamental skills required to proficiently care for our patients. From learning how to perform a history and physical exam in undergraduate nursing labs, to practicing safe medication administration during our clinicals, we focus on perfecting the skills necessary to be excellent clinicians.”

Safe Nurse Staffing Standards in Hospitals Saves Lives and Lowers Costs

July 6 - A new study published in The Lancet Global Health showed that establishing safe nurse staffing standards in hospitals in Chile could save lives, prevent readmissions, shorten hospital stays, and reduce costs.

National Society Honors Three Penn Nursing Professors

July 2 -

The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) — the country’s largest interdisciplinary organization devoted to the field of aging — is honoring three Penn Nursing Professors with awards for their outstanding research, distinguished leadership in teaching and service, and for fostering new ideas in gerontological science.

Barbara Riegel, PhD, RN, FAAN, Transitions from Standing Faculty at Penn Nursing After 19 Years of Service

July 1 -

Barbara Riegel, PhD, RN, FAAN, FAHA has transitioned from her position as the Edith Clemmer Steinbright Chair of Gerontology. She has been a highly respected member of the faculty at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing for the past 19 years. A world-renowned expert in heart failure self-care, Barbara has been listening deeply to her patients and patients’ families to build a rich body of evidence aimed at helping older adults with heart failure enjoy a high quality of life.

Humans of Penn Nursing: Breanna Trainor, Nu’22

June 30 - “I am currently participating in the GRIP Nursing Research Program at the Trinity College of Dublin (TCD) in Ireland. I decided to apply because the opportunity to spend a summer abroad in Ireland excited me.

Ann Lawrence O’Sullivan, PhD, FAAN, CRNP, Transitions from Standing Faculty at Penn Nursing After 48 Years of Service

June 29 -

Ann Lawrence O’Sullivan, PhD, FAAN, CRNP, the Dr. Hildegarde Reynolds Endowed Term Professor of Primary Care Nursing and Professor of Primary Care Nursing, Perelman School of Medicine, will be transitioning in just a few days on June 30, 2021 after an incredible 48 years(!) of service to the University and School. She will continue to mentor and support our DNP students.

Mary Ersek, PhD, RN, FPCN, Transitions from Standing Faculty at Penn Nursing After Two Decades of Service

June 28 -

Mary Ersek, PhD, RN, FPCN, transitioned from her position as the Killebrew-Censits Chair in Undergraduate Education, and Professor of Palliative Care, in December 2020. She did not go far – as she continues her research at the Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center, Philadelphia, and works to guide quality improvement efforts in VA medical centers across the country.

Dolores Albarracín Appointed Penn Integrates Knowledge University Professor

June 22 -

President Amy Gutmann and Provost Wendell Pritchett today announced the appointment of Dolores Albarracín as the University of Pennsylvania’s twenty-eighth Penn Integrates Knowledge University Professor, beginning July 1, 2021. Albarracín, a world-renowned social psychologist, will be the Alexandra Heyman Nash University Professor, with joint appointments in the Annenberg School for Communication and the Department of Family and Community Health in the School of Nursing.

Alison Marie Dubiner, Nu’21

June 21 - “Who doesn’t love babies? I certainly do, but it’s the birthing person I enjoy caring for more.

Design Thinking Results in Innovative Clinical Pathway

June 21 -

Despite national efforts to reduce health care disparities, medically complex and socially at-risk patients continue to experience relatively poor outcomes during and after hospitalization, including frequent readmissions and preventable emergency department (ED) visits. New research shows that design thinking, an approach typically used in engineering and business, has merit in helping nurses and other health care providers develop clinical pathways to improve care transitions for socially at-risk patients.

Treating Sleep Apnea with CPAP Therapy is Associated with Lower Risk of Heart Problems

June 17 -

Penn Nursing’s Amy Sawyer, PhD, RN, Associate Professor of Sleep & Health Behavior in the Department of Biobehavioral Health Sciences, is co-lead investigator for a study showing that patients with untreated, moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea had a higher risk of experiencing a cardiovascular event, but the risk of incident heart problems was decreased in those who used CPAP therapy. The findings were published recently in an online supplement of the journal Sleep and were presented as a poster during Virtual SLEEP 2021.

Advocating Reimbursement Parity for Nurse Practitioners

June 16 -

The current Medicare reimbursement policy for nurse practitioners (NPs) allows NPs to directly bill Medicare for services that they perform, but they are reimbursed at only 85% of the physician rate. A growing number of states are granting full practice authority to nurse practitioners. Even more states have loosened practice restrictions due to COVID-19. Both of these reasons illustrate why payment parity is essential.

Krista Pinola Appointed Chair of the Penn Nursing Board of Advisors

June 15 -

Effective July 1, 2021, Krista Pinola (NU’86) will be appointed as Chair of the School of Nursing Board of Advisors. Andie Laporte, sitting chair, and Dean Antonia M. Villarruel unanimously endorsed this appointment in consultation with the Office of the University Secretary, and with the approval of President Amy Gutmann, David Cohen, and Scott Bok – outgoing/incoming Chairs of the Board of Trustees (respectively). Krista will follow Andie Laporte’s successful tenure as Chair.

Olivia Mary Frances Arnold, GR’21

June 14 - “Most nursing students don’t think about nursing research when starting their nursing program. We’re more concerned with starting IV’s, memorizing drug flashcards, and hoping we get the clinical placement we want. However, there are so many other aspects to nursing science.

Promoting Self-care Among African Immigrants with Chronic Diseases

June 14 -

In a new article for Penn LDI’s Health Policy$ense blog, Onome Henry Osokpo, PhD, MSc, MSN, RN, LDI Associate Fellow, Provost Postdoctoral Fellow for Academic Diversity, and Penn Nursing Postdoctoral Research Fellow, writes about the cultural and structural factors that affect self-care in African immigrants with chronic disease.

Gun Violence and it’s Impact on Healthcare

June 7 -

“Gun Violence and its Impact on Healthcare,” a panel discussion featuring Dr. Therese Richmond and other experts from the University of Pennsylvania, examines the devastating effect of gun violence in America and its enduring impact on health and healthcare. The discussion was hosted by Curetalks.com.

Exploring an Epidemic’s Meaning from the Perspective of Nursing

June 7 -

An article written almost 30 years ago helps frame social constructs around the COVID-19 pandemic. By reviewing the essay, an historian of nursing at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing (Penn Nursing) extends that construct to include nurses and patients, delivering a local and personal meaning to the epidemic experience.

Penn Nursing Post-Doc Named a 2021-2022 Jonas Policy Scholar

June 1 -

Rachel French, PhD, RN, a soon-to-be postdoctoral fellow through the National Clinician Scholars Program at Penn Nursing and Penn Medicine, has been named a 2021-22 American Academy of Nursing (AAN) Jonas Policy Scholar.

Hodgson Appointed to Penn Fellows Program

May 28 -

Nancy Hodgson, PhD, RN, FAAN, the Anthony Buividas Term Chair in Gerontology, Professor of Nursing, and Chair of the Biobehavioral Health Sciences Department (BHS), has been appointed to the thirteenth cohort of the Penn Fellows Program for 2021.

Augustine Cassis Obeng Boateng, MPH, GR’20

May 21 - “Towards the end of 2019, I decided to go back to China and explore more of rural China. Specifically, I wanted to hike the glass canopy walk and visit the Wuhan market. I wanted to see how venom is extracted from pythons as well as its preparation for consumption.

Penn Nursing-led Philly Team Awarded $1.4 Million NIH Grant to Expand COVID-19 Outreach

May 19 -

José A. Bauermeister, PhD, and Antonia M. Villarruel, PhD, are leading one of 10 new research teams from across the country that received National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants totaling $14 million to extend the reach of the NIH’s Community Engagement Alliance (CEAL) Against COVID-19 Disparities. The Philly CEAL team was awarded $1.4 million from the NIH with additional support from Penn Nursing and The University of Pennsylvania, bringing the total for the alliance to $1.53 million. The team includes Penn Medicine, the Annenberg School for Communication, the Philadelphia Public Health Department, and Philly Counts.

An Extended Year of Celebration and Impact

May 18 -

As with nearly everything related to 2020, the Year of the Nurse & Midwife celebration did not go according to plan. But with every challenge the Penn Nursing community has faced during the pandemic, we have risen to the occasion—and the same can be said about the Year of the Nurse & Midwife. As we wrap up our expanded celebration of nurses and midwives and the role each of us plays in improving public health, it is clear that while many of our planned in-person events had to be transitioned to virtual events, many more dynamic projects bubbled to the surface that have made the Year of the Nurse & Midwife far more meaningful and impactful.

Congratulations to the Class of 2021!

May 17 -

Penn Nursing’s 2021 commencement was different again this year due to the pandemic. The graduates, their families, friends, and the Penn Nursing community, gathered online for our virtual graduation on May 17, 2021. We celebrated their achievements, their studies, their work, their honors, and we welcomed them among the ranks of the Penn Nursing Alumni.

Minimum Nurse-to-Patient Ratios Policy Saves Lives and Lowers Costs

May 11 -

A new study published in TheLancet today showed that a policy establishing minimum nurse-to-patient staffing ratios in hospitals in Queensland, Australia saved lives, prevented readmissions, shortened hospital stays, and reduced costs.

Emily Webster, Nu’21

May 10 - My main reason for pursuing a career in nursing was to combine my passion for service with my deep interest in healthcare.