News Archives

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.

Humans of Penn Nursing: 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 -

Seventeen nursing professionals, who are 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. 

Penn Engineering and Nursing Partner with Medical Device Provider Hillrom on Internet-of-Things Technology

August 24 -

The School of Engineering and Applied Science’s PRECISE Center and the School of Nursing at the University of Pennsylvania have formed a partnership with medical device leader Hillrom to develop technical solutions for health care challenges in multiple domains, including critical care, diabetes, mental health, and cardiology.

American Academy of Nursing Names Linda Aiken a Living Legend

August 20 - This honor is bestowed upon a person who has made significant contributions to nursing and health care over the course of their career.

Moving Social Justice Forward at Penn Nursing

August 19 -

Dear School of Nursing Community:

I am writing to share the Nursing School’s continued efforts to advance social justice, especially considering current events. The disproportionate impact of COVID-19 and law enforcement brutality on Black and other communities of color are symptoms of the same disease – structural racism. Structural racism is nothing new; sadly, it is a significant and enduring theme in the American story. No institution in this country is immune to its grip – not the nursing profession, the University of Pennsylvania, nor our very own School of Nursing. The events of this summer bring a renewed and urgent call to action. 

Alaina Hall, BSN, Nu’18,

August 18 - In just the first two years, my nursing career has taken me on a journey I could have never imagined. After graduating from Penn in 2018, I spent a year in Mexico with the President’s Engagement Prize, working to prevent infectious diseases in children.

Wide Variation Across Hospitals in Nurse Staffing Is Threat to Public’s Health

August 17 - According to a new study published today in BMJ Quality & Safety, many hospitals in New York and Illinois were understaffed right before the first surge of critically ill Covid-19 patients. The study, “Chronic Hospital Nurse Understaffing Meets Covid-19,” documented staffing ratios that varied from 3 to 10 patients for each nurse on general adult medical and surgical units. ICU nurse staffing was better but also varied significantly across hospitals.

Emily Layne, Nu’20

August 11 - After completing 900+ clinical hours, I believed I had developed a thorough understanding of the challenges patients face. As a graduate of Penn Nursing’s traditional BSN program, I dedicated four years of my life to learning the art and science of holistically caring for patients. But after undergoing knee surgery, I discovered that nothing could have prepared me for my own recovery process.

Allison Gelfarb, BSN, Nu’20,

August 6 - “This past semester I completed an independent study on Nurse Leadership in the time of a Pandemic, and the Effect of the Coronavirus on Mental Health of Nurses.

Moving the Needle on Faculty Diversity

August 5 -

In the wake of major social changes, public and private sector entities across the nation have taken steps to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion. Yet while college student bodies have become more racially and ethnically diverse, there is still a dearth of underrepresented minority (URM) faculty in higher education.

Tackling the Bioethics Challenges Raised by COVID-19

August 3 -

The diverse situations experienced by health-care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic often present serious ethical challenges. From the allocation of resources and triage protocols to health-care worker and patient rights and the management of clinical trials, new ethical questions have come to the forefront of today’s global public health emergency.

A New Approach to Aiding Black Male Trauma Survivors

July 23 -

Penn Nursing and Drexel study evaluates pathways to psychological help-seeking behavior.

Penn Nursing’s Alison Buttenheim, PhD, MBA, Appointed to NAM COVID Vaccine Committee

July 22 -

The goal of the ad hoc committee on Equitable Allocation of Vaccine for the Novel Coronavirus is to develop an overarching framework for vaccine allocation to assist policymakers in the domestic and global health communities in planning for equitable allocation of vaccines against COVID-19.

Christina Stille, Nu’92

July 14 - Telehealth: new and always interesting in pediatrics.

Anonymous Entry

July 14 - “As an abortion provider in a city where health outcomes are poor and disparities are stark, I have seen firsthand how important it is for pregnant people to be able to access abortion care and family planning services.

Palliative Nursing’s Role During COVID-19 and Beyond

July 14 -

As a rapid influx of patients overwhelmed health systems during the coronavirus pandemic, palliative nurses played dual roles supporting patients, patient families, and colleagues. Two researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing (Penn Nursing) are among those detailing the important role palliative care has in responding during the COVID-19 pandemic and in future public health crises.

Pandemic Inspires Framework for Enhanced Care in Nursing Homes

July 9 -

As of May 2020, nursing home residents account for a staggering one-third of the more than 80,000 deaths due to COVID-19 in the U.S. This pandemic has resulted in unprecedented threats—like reduced access to resources needed to contain and eliminate the spread of the virus—to achieving and sustaining care quality even in the best nursing homes. Active engagement of nursing home leaders in developing solutions responsive to the unprecedented threats to quality standards of care delivery is required.

Isabel Li, BSN, RN, Nu’19

July 8 - Six months after moving to Manhattan and beginning my career as an inpatient nurse, the city that I had just begun to call home became an epicenter for the COVID-19 pandemic. In under 48 hours, my acute surgical unit transformed into a full, 34-bed COVID ICU.

LGBTQ Data Added to the Pennsylvania’s COVID-19 Testing

July 1 -

Governor Tom Wolf announced on March 13 that the state will include LGBTQ-specific information as part of its COVID-19 data collection. Pennsylvania Department of Health began collecting race and ethnicity data after racial disparities were revealed during the pandemic. It has expanded the effort to include sexual orientation and gender identity.