News Archives

Science Advisory: Advocating for Developmental Care for Infants With Complex Congenital Heart Disease

January 26 -

Developmental disorders, disabilities, and delays are common outcomes for infants with complex congenital heart disease. Targeting early factors influencing these conditions after birth and during neonatal hospitalization for cardiac surgery remains a critical need. However, significant gaps remain in understanding the best practices to improve neurodevelopmental and psychosocial outcomes for these infants.

Study Shows Missed Nursing Care is a Key Factor in Adverse Outcomes for Very Low Birthweight Infants

January 24 -

Sometimes hospital staff nurses cannot provide required care due to time constraints. This reality can contribute to potentially dire outcomes for very low birthweight (VLBW) infants, who weigh less than 3.3 lbs. at birth. These newborns depend on the nurse for survival. Missed nursing care is likely clinically relevant to whether VLBW infants develop an infection, develop a brain hemorrhage, or even die. Given post-pandemic staffing shortages and the increased burden placed on nurses, routine measurement of missed care and managerial efforts to prevent it could be vital to improving the health and life course of VLBW infants.

Penn Nursing’s Center for Global Women’s Health Awarded State Grant

January 19 -

The Center for Global Women’s Health (CGWH) has been awarded another $30,000 grant through It’s On Us PA, a statewide campaign that aims to end sexual assault by bringing together college and university presidents, superintendents, administrators, teachers, students, families, and community members to reframe the conversation around sexual violence and pledge to be part of the solution.

Welcome to the Spring Semester 2023 from Dean Antonia M. Villarruel

January 3 -

Happy new year and welcome to the Spring semester!

We All Just Want to Be Heard

December 23 -

Penn Medicine recently profiled Azucena (Susy) Villalobos, BSN, a nurse in the surgical intensive care unit (SICU), a fellow in the Leonard A. Lauder Community Care Nurse Practitioner Program at Penn Nursing, and the president-elect of the National Association of Hispanic Nurses (NAHN) Philadelphia chapter. Her profile was featured in HUPdate.

Better Staffed Hospitals Before Pandemic Had Better Outcomes During It

December 13 -

According to a new study published in Nursing Outlook, the journal of the American Academy of Nursing, chronic hospital nurse understaffing and poor hospital work environments that predated the Covid-19 pandemic largely explain the disruptions in nursing care seen during the pandemic and continuing today.

Understanding How the Perception of Risks and Benefits Influence Cancer Clinical Trial Withdrawal Outcomes

December 7 - While people with cancer have options to participate in cancer clinical trials (CCTs), it can be challenging when they encounter difficulties enrolling and remaining in the trial. Trial withdrawal, although every participant’s right, can thwart study goals and hamper advancing novel treatments.

Matthew D. McHugh, PhD, to Receive the 17th Claire M. Fagin Distinguished Researcher Award

December 5 -

The biennial award honors the best scholarly qualities that Dr. Fagin, the School’s third Dean, exemplified. It is given to a Penn Nursing faculty member, or a graduate from the School’s doctoral program, who has made a distinguished contribution to nursing scholarship. Matthew D. McHugh, PhD, JD, MPH, RN, CRNP, FAAN, The Independence Chair for Nursing Education, Professor of Nursing, and Director of the School’s Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research, is a stellar nurse scientist with national and international stature and impact. He is renowned for his program of research that addresses critical problems that affect the nursing profession and enhances health system quality. The award presentation will be on April 13, 2023.

State Appointment for Penn Nursing Professor

November 21 -

Charlene W. Compher, PhD, RD, LDN, FASPEN, Professor of Nutrition Science in Penn Nursing’s Department of Biobehavioral Health Sciences and Director of Graduate Nutrition Programs, has been appointed to Pennsylvania’s State Board of Nursing. She will be the only dietitian/nutritionist representative on the board. Her six-year term began on October 26, 2022.

Transforming LGBTQ+ Health

November 18 -

Members from across the University and representatives from Philadelphia’s business, government, and community sectors recently gathered together at the Inn at Penn to celebrate the Eidos LGBTQ+ Health Initiative at the University of Pennsylvania with a launch party.

Penn Collaboratory to Fund more than $2.1M in Grants in Year One

November 17 -

The Penn Artificial Intelligence and Technology Collaboratory for Healthy Aging (PennAITech) – made up of Penn’s School of Nursing, the Perelman School of Medicine, and other departments across the University – focuses on identifying developing, evaluating, commercializing, and disseminating innovative technology and artificial intelligence methods/software to support aging. It’s made possible through a grant from the National Institute on Aging, a part of the National Institutes of Health. In its first year, and through a competitive national grant review process, twelve applicants from academia, industry, and clinical practice across the United States have been selected for funding.

Meet the Leonard A. Lauder Community Care NP Fellows

November 16 - This fall, nine carefully chosen nurses from across the country will embark on their NP education at Penn—and thanks to a $125 million gift from Leonard A. Lauder W’54, they will emerge from the experience debt-free and ready to care for those who need their expertise most.

Unpacking Barriers to COVID-19 Vaccination in Latino Communities

November 16 -

A study from Penn Nursing and others finds that for Latino or Hispanic populations in the U.S. four main barriers come into play: access to health care services, money, immigration concerns, and misinformation.

Thinking ‘Beyond the Hospital’ for Black Men Recovering from Traumatic Injury

November 7 -

Research from Penn Nursing and Penn Medicine found that where these patients live and return post-hospitalization affects whether they’ll experience symptoms of depression or PTSD as they heal.

Teen Drivers Often Unsafe on the Road with Speeding and Handheld Cellphone Use

November 1 -

Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death in adolescents, and risky driving behaviors like speeding, rapid accelerations, and cellphone use can contribute to crashes. New research finds many teens struggle to abide by the rules of the road.

Two Penn Nursing Professors Awarded Hillman Foundation Grants for Research Addressing the Health of Marginalized Populations

October 26 -

The Rita and Alex Hillman Foundation (RAHF) announced $1.5 million in grants to support bold new programs addressing the health of marginalized populations. Two of the grant recipients are from Penn Nursing’s Department of Family and Community Health: J. Margo Brooks Carthon, PhD, the Tyson Family Endowed Term Chair for Gerontological Research and Associate Professor of Nursing; and Sara Jacoby, PhD, the Calvin Bland Fellow and Assistant Professor of Nursing.

Kaitlyn Francisco, Nu’24

October 26 - “When I was 13 years old, I was diagnosed with osteosarcoma. All of the sudden, my life shifted into a flurry of diagnostic tests and scans until the final biopsy confirmed my cancer.

The Magliacano Digital Communications Center is now LIVE!

October 25 -

Penn Nursing’s legacy of leadership and focus on innovation demands cutting edge technology in all of its spaces—including the Carol Elizabeth Ware Lobby in Claire M. Fagin Hall. Thanks to a generous gift from Maria Coutretsis Magliacano, Nu’98 and Marc Magliacano, W’96, the look and feel of the lobby—not to mention the School’s technology assets—have been transformed by a strategically designed digital communications center.

Exploring Equity Barriers Before a Firearm Safety Trial

October 20 -

When evaluating the success or failure of efforts to implement evidence-based interventions, ensuring that implementation is equitable across populations is important. The need to attend to equity has been widely accepted but little guidance has been offered with regard to how to do so within the context of implementation trials. Before launching a hybrid effectiveness-implementation trial focused on firearm safety promotion in pediatric primary care, an interdisciplinary research team including investigators from University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, Henry Ford Health, and Kaiser Permanente Colorado developed a unique five-step engagement process to prospectively ground the trial in an equity lens.

Penn Nursing Professor Emerita Named a 2022 Distinguished Daughter of Pennsylvania

October 18 -

Governor Tom Wolf and First Lady Frances Wolf recently recognized 11 women as Distinguished Daughters of Pennsylvania, highlighting their extraordinary achievements and contributions to the commonwealth at an event at the Governor’s Residence. One of them was Neville Strumpf, PhD, RN FANN, Professor Emerita of the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing (Penn Nursing).

New Chair for Irving

October 7 -

Penn Nursing’s Sharon Y. Irving, PhD, CRNP, FCCM, FAAN, FASPEN, Associate Professor in the Clinician Educator track and Vice-Chair of the Department of Family and Community Health, has been appointed the Miriam Stirl Endowed Term Chair in Nutrition. She also practices as a pediatric nurse practitioner at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), where she provides patient care in the pediatric intensive care and progressive care units.

Buividas Chair for Perez

October 6 -

Penn Nursing’s Adriana Perez, PhD, ANP-BC, FAAN, Associate Professor of Nursing in the Department of Family and Community Health, has been appointed the Anthony Buividas Term Chair in Gerontology. Dr. Perez is a Scientist at the Center for Improving Care Delivery for the Aging (CICADA), Penn’s Resource Center for Minority Aging Research (RCMAR), funded by the National Institute on Aging (NIA). She has constructed a community-engaged research portfolio focused on designing and testing of theory-based and culturally relevant interventions for elder Latinx adults. Her passion for community engagement and community research and the relationships she builds in Latinx communities throughout the city of Philadelphia, is a testament of her leadership.

New Appointment for Jacoby

October 5 -

Penn Nursing’s Sara Jacoby, MPH, MSN, PhD, Assistant Professor of Nursing in the Department of Family and Community Health, has been appointed the Calvin Bland Fellow at the School of Nursing. This Fellowship is awarded to select individuals in the Schools of Nursing, Social Policy & Practice, and the Graduate School of Education, as part of the Penn Futures Project, which was established in 2015 to enhance the health and wellbeing of area children and families.

Penn Nursing Professor Receives Lienhard Award from National Academy of Medicine for Pioneering the Field of Transitional Care

September 15 -

The National Academy of Medicine today announced Mary D. Naylor, PhD, RN, FAAN, the Marian S. Ware Professor in Gerontology and Director of the NewCourtland Center for Transitions and Health, is the recipient of the 2022 Gustav O. Lienhard Award for Advancement of Health Care for improving the lives of millions of older adults living with complex health and social needs through her role as the architect of the Transitional Care Model and pioneer of the field of transitional care. The award will be presented at the National Academy of Medicine’s annual meeting on Oct. 16. Naylor is one of four University of Pennsylvania faculty, and the third from the School of Nursing, to have received this national honor.

Rethinking Criminalizing Language in Firearm Research and Intervention

September 14 -

Injuries associated with firearm violence pose a persistent public health threat in the United States. The term “recidivism” is often used when referring to those who experience repeat firearm injuries. A commentary in the journal Preventive Medicine cautions against its use in clinical and public health discourse and as an evaluation descriptor for violence prevention and intervention programs.

For the Second Year in a Row, US News & World Report Ranks Penn Nursing BSN Program # 1 in the Nation

September 12 -

Penn Nursing’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing is again the number one undergraduate nursing program in the nation according to the 2023 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings.

Meet the First Lauder Fellows

September 7 -

Penn Nursing is excited to announce the inaugural cohort of the Leonard A. Lauder Community Care Nurse Practitioner Program, comprised of Fellows from across the country who will begin full-time studies towards a nurse practitioner degree. They are the first-ever students in a pioneering, tuition-free program dedicated to building a nurse practitioner workforce committed to working in and with underserved communities, both rural and urban.

Penn Nursing & Columbia School of Social Work Team Up to Educate Social Workers & Nurses about Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy

September 7 -

Thanks to a $1 million grant from the Joe & Sandy Samberg Foundation and the Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation, the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing (Penn Nursing) and the Columbia University School of Social Work (CSSW) are developing a collaborative initiative to educate social workers and nurses about psychedelic-assisted therapy in anticipation of FDA approval of this type of treatment. This effort will help improve access to affordable, safe treatment facilitated by a large workforce of highly qualified practitioners.

Do Say Gay: Understanding the Significance of Inclusive Sexuality Discussions Between Parent and Son

September 7 - Data show that Generation Z youth are coming out at earlier ages than previous generations of sexual- and gender-diverse individuals. However, little is known about LGBTQ youth’s perspectives on how or if parent-child discussions at home about health and sexuality sufficiently meet their sexual education needs.

New Presidential Professor for Penn Nursing

September 6 -

The University of Pennsylvania has appointed Carmen Alvarez, PhD, CRNP, CNM, FAAN, a Presidential Professor to Penn Nursing, making her the School’s second such appointment. Alvarez is the first nurse to attain this rank at the University. She is a faculty member in the Department of Family and Community Health.