News Archives

Announcing the Johnson & Johnson Nursing Innovation Fellows

May 24 -

The University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing is pleased to announce that ten teams from health systems around the country have been selected for the Johnson & Johnson Nurse Innovation Fellowship Program (JJNIF), powered by Penn Nursing and the Wharton School–a ground-breaking, one-year, team-based nursing fellowship for Chief Nursing Officers, nurse executives, and senior nurse leaders.

Celebrating the Class of 2023!

May 17 -

Penn Nursing celebrated the Class of 2023 on May 15 with our annual commencement ceremony at the Kimmel Cultural Campus. We celebrated their achievements, their studies, their work, their honors, along with all of their families, friends, and the Penn Nursing community. It is an honor to welcome them among the ranks of the Penn Nursing Alumni.

New Fellowships

May 10 -

Four Penn Nursing professors have been selected for new fellowships from national organizations in their respective fields. Congratulations to José A. Bauermeister, Diane Spatz, Abigail Howe-Heyman, and Dawn Elizabeth Bent.

Penn’s Rebecca Clark, PhD, Joins Betty Irene Moore Fellowship Program at UC Davis Nursing School

May 8 -

Rebecca Clark, PhD, MSN, RN, Assistant Professor of Perinatal Nursing, Midwifery, and Women’s Health at Penn Nursing and a Nurse Scientist at Pennsylvania Hospital, is one of 16 nurse scientists accepted to the fourth cohort of the Betty Irene Moore Fellowship for Nurse Leaders and Innovators. She is the first nurse scientist from Penn to be accepted to this program.

University Names Penn Nursing Professor as Evan C Thompson Term Chair for Excellence in Teaching

May 8 -

Interim Provost Beth A. Winkelstein and Vice Provost for Education Karen Detlefsen are pleased to announce the appointment of Penn Nursing’s Jie Deng, PhD, RN, OCN, FAAN, Associate Professor in the Department of Biobehavioral Health Sciences, Faculty Director of the Laboratory of Innovative & Translational Nursing Research, and Senior Fellow in the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, to the Evan C Thompson Term Chair for Excellence in Teaching, beginning July 1, 2023.

2023 Penn Nursing / Aspen Institute Women’s Health Conference

May 4 -

Penn Nursing, in collaboration with the Aspen Institute, hosted a half-day program that explored women and health, with a lens on areas that require further attention as well as the policies and initiatives that can help move us forward.

Helping Health Care Providers Support Black Breastfeeding Families

May 4 - Despite breastfeeding being recommended for at least two years, only 36 percent of all infants are still breastfed at their first birthday. Black/African American mothers are least likely to initiate breastfeeding with initiation rates of only 74 percent compared to 90 percent of Asian mothers with a national average of 84 percent. Given the disparities in breastfeeding initiation, there are likely to be equivalent disparities in breastfeeding duration.

Penn Nursing Professor Named a Top 50 in Digital Health Honoree for 2022

April 24 -

José A. Bauermeister, PhD, MPH, the Albert M. Greenfield Professor of Human Relations, Chair of Penn Nursing’s Department of Family & Community Health, and Founding Director of The Eidos LGBTQ+ Health Initiative, has been named one of the top 50 in Digital Health for 2022 in the category of equity advocacy.

Two Penn Nursing Students Join the Next Cohort of World House Student Fellows

April 21 -

Charolette Brown and Zarah Huo join the 2023-24 cohort of World House Student Fellows at Penn’s Perry World House.

Future of Nursing Scholars: Reflections on Forward-Thinking Nursing Doctoral Education

April 21 -

As the distinguished Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Future of Nursing Scholars (FNS) program ends, a special section of an issue of the journal Nursing Outlook offers an in-depth review from University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing (Penn Nursing) leaders about the program’s success and its long-lasting impact on nursing scholars, faculty, and institutions.

Penn Nursing Well Represented in New Sigma Book Promoting Health Equity and Well-Being

April 20 -

The crucible of the global pandemic, racial injustice, and a crippling nursing shortage has sparked increasing calls for nursing to address its own problems, ranging from inequity to structural racism. Answering this call is a new book from Sigma, Taking Action: Top 10 Priorities to Promote Health Equity and Well-Being in Nursing. Penn Nursing faculty, alumni, and students are among the seventy national and international nursing leaders to tackle the most pressing issues confronting the profession.

National Award for Penn Nursing Professor

April 12 -

The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) honors Therese Richmond, PhD, RN, FAAN, with its 2023 Marguerite Rodgers Kinney Award for a Distinguished Career.

New Insight into Optimal Protein Dosing for Critically Sick Patients

April 12 -

A new study finds that higher protein didn’t help this ICU patient population, and for those with acute kidney failure it actually caused harm.

University Awards for Two Penn Nursing Professors

April 11 -

Peggy Compton and Loretta Sernekos will be honored by the University during its annual awards ceremony on April 17 at 5 PM. Compton will receive a 2023 Christian R. and Mary F. Lindback Foundation Award for Distinguished Teaching, and Sernekos will receive a Provost’s Award for Teaching Excellence by Non-Standing Faculty.

Two Penn Nursing Professors Selected for Induction to the International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame

April 5 -

Penn Nursing’s Jianghong Liu and Matthew D. McHugh will both be honored by Sigma Theta Tau International for their contributions to the nursing profession during the organization’s 34th International Nursing Research Congress in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, in July, 2023

Penn Futures Project Leaves Lasting Impact

March 27 - Penn’s unique cross-school collaboration, the Penn Futures Project, leaves impact on education, research, and Philadelphia.

Penn Nursing Ranked #1 in the World for Eighth Consecutive Year

March 22 - The University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing is once again ranked the top nursing school in the world for the eighth consecutive year by QS World University. The rankings for 2023 highlight the world’s top universities in 54 different subject areas, the largest yet, featuring more than 15,700 different academic programs from 1,594 institutions, 103 of which are new. Since 2016, Penn Nursing has consistently led the field.

New Fellowship Aims at Advancing Health Care through Nurse-led Innovation and Leadership Within Health Systems

March 20 - The University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing recently announced the Johnson & Johnson Nurse Innovation Fellowship Program (JJNIF), powered by Penn Nursing and the Wharton School–a ground-breaking, one-year, team-based nursing fellowship for Chief Nursing Officers (CNO), nurse executives, and senior nurse leaders. The fellowship is unique in that two nurse leaders – one Chief Nursing Officer or nurse executive and one other senior nurse leader from the same organization – participate and work together to address a real-world challenge their health system is facing.

Congratulations to the 2023 Penn Nursing Faculty Award Recipients

March 17 -

All the honorees will be recognized at the Student, Alumni, and Faculty Awards event on Friday, May 12, 2023, 4-5:30 PM EST in the Ann L. Roy Auditorium.

New Appointment for Penn Nursing Professor

March 15 - George Demiris, PhD, FACMI, the Mary Alice Bennett University Professor and Penn Integrates Knowledge University Professor, has been appointed Penn Nursing’s next Associate Dean for Research and Innovation. This appointment will begin on June 1, 2023.

President & CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to be 2023 Penn Nursing Commencement Speaker

March 14 -

Dr. Richard Besser, President and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), the nation’s largest health philanthropy, will serve as the 2023 Penn Nursing commencement speaker. The event will take place at 3:00 PM EST on Monday, May 15, 2023, at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts.

Announcing the New Johnson & Johnson Nurse Innovation Fellowship Program Powered by Penn Nursing & the Wharton School

March 3 - The program is a ground-breaking, one-year, team-based nursing fellowship for Chief Nursing Officers (CNO), nurse executives, and senior nurse leaders, focused on advancing healthcare by powering-up nurse-led innovation and leadership within health systems.

Penn Nursing Center Joins with 50 Leading National Organizations to Curb Infodemic of Health and Science Misinformation and Disinformation

March 3 -

The creation of The Coalition for Trust in Health & Science, was formally launched during the 2023 American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. The alliance, which includes Penn Nursing’s NewCourtland Center for Transitions and Health, was formed to unite leading organizations from across the entire health ecosystem to advance trust and factual science-based decision-making. NewCourtland Director, Mary Naylor, PhD, RN, the Marian S. Ware Professor in Gerontology, is part of the Core Convening Committee which spearheaded the creation of the Coalition.

A Firsthand Look at Traditional Chinese Medicine in Thailand

February 20 -

During a nine-day winter break trip, students in Jianghong Liu’s Penn Global seminar experienced and learned about practices like tea therapy, cupping, Qi Gong, and more.

Penn Nursing Focuses on Achieving Equitable Primary Care

February 14 -

Data shows that unless the pattern of furnishing primary health care, particularly to underserved groups in both urban and rural areas, is drastically improved, these groups will suffer in inequitable and unnecessary ways. It is clear that the primary care workforce must be expanded and diversified.

Eidos LGBTQ+ Health Initiative at the University of Pennsylvania Partners with Gaingels to Devote Five Million Dollars in Research that Supports Advances in LGBTQ+ Health Start-ups

February 13 -

The Eidos LGBTQ+ Health Initiative at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing (Penn Nursing) is partnering with Gaingels, an LGBTQIA+/Allies private investment syndicate, to provide their portfolio of companies access to Penn’s academic research to make an impact into the health and well-being of LGBTQ+ communities.

University Award for Penn Nursing Professor

February 9 -

Sharon Irving, PhD, the Miriam Stirl Endowed Term Chair in Nutrition, Associate Professor of Pediatric Nursing, and Vice-Chair of the Department of Family and Community Health, will be honored with the 2023 Women of Color at Penn (WOCAP) Award for faculty on March 17,2023.

Uncovering Sexual Health Topics for Parents to Address with Their Adolescent-aged GBQ Male Children

February 7 -

Comprehensive and inclusive sexual health education reduces young gay, bisexual, and queer (GBQ) men’s vulnerability to poor sexual health outcomes like HIV and STIs into adulthood, data shows. However, conservative ideologies continue to dominate policies on school-based sex education and view topics like same-sex attractions as controversial.

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.