News Archives

Engaging the Community, One Mask at a Time

May 4 - At 10 sites across campus for 10 weeks, Penn Nursing students made 400 weekly observations about mask usage, part of MASCUP, a nationwide initiative spearheaded by the CDC that includes 53 colleges and universities.

New National Appointment

May 3 -

Therese S. Richmond, PhD, RN, FAAN, the Andrea B. Laporte Professor of Nursing and Associate Dean for Research & Innovation at Penn Nursing has been appointed to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Board on Population Health and Public Health Practice. The three-year appointment runs through March 2024.

Battling Public Health Misinformation Online

April 29 -

Social media and web-based news channels became a communication superhighway for correct and incorrect public health information during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study of this vast amount of information, known as infodemiology, is critical to building public health interventions to combat misinformation and help individuals, groups, and communities navigate and distill crucial public health messages.

An Urgent Need

April 26 -

Penn Nursing Dean Antonia Villarruel serves as a member of the ASPEN Health Strategy Group (AHSG), which just released a new report calling for a prompt response to address the U.S. maternal mortality crisis, which disproportionately impacts Black women and other women of color. “Reversing the U.S. Maternal Mortality Crisis” is the result of convening of 23 nationally recognized leaders and experts across sectors, with input from the general public.

Penn Nursing Dean Antonia Villarruel to Receive The Ohtli Award from the Government of Mexico

April 20 -

This is the highest honor bestowed by the Mexican Government to individuals and organizations that have stood out for their work in favor of the empowerment of the Mexican diaspora and helped to “open the path” for the new Mexican American and Latino generations.

Humans of Penn Nursing: Joshua Porat-Dahlerbruch, Nu’17, GNu’18

April 20 - “While considering what to write for this post, I kept coming back to a central purpose. In sharing my passions and background, I hope to motivate students to begin pursuing their goals.

2021 President’s Innovation Prize for Penn Nursing Senior

April 19 -

Anthony Scarpone-Lambert, who is graduating in a few weeks, is the first nursing student to win this award. The President’s Innovation Prize was created by University of Pennsylvania President Amy Gutmann to strengthen the University’s commitment to innovation under the Penn Compact 2020.

EHR Usability Issues Linked to Nurse Burnout and Patient Outcomes

April 19 -

Nurses and other clinicians rely heavily upon the electronic health record (EHR) to provide patient care. This includes clinical decision-making, care planning, patient surveillance, medication ordering and administration, and communication with other health care team members. While data show that EHR technology usability can put added burden on clinicians, the relationships between EHR usability and the job outcomes of hospital staff nurses and surgical patient outcomes have not been explored.

Humans of Penn Nursing: Jason Jemera, GNu’21

April 13 - “I am a first-generation child of Filipino immigrants. I am a product of environments marked by poverty, street violence, substance use, and mental illness. I lost a best friend to a bullet the day I began my first nursing job at a top ranked hospital. He was a child of Nigerian immigrants.

Penn Nursing Supports Black Maternal Health Week

April 13 -

To mark Black Maternal Health Week (BMHW) in the United States, faculty from Penn Nursing, including Professor and Margaret Bond Simon Dean of Nursing Antonia M. Villarruel, PhD, RN, FAAN, issued a statement recognizing the initiative as an important step in efforts to reduce maternal morbidity and mortality among Black women. The statement points to the “devastating effects of racism on maternal health.”

Violence and Its Effects on Healthcare Service, Access, and Strategies

April 8 -

Many factors, including need, affect healthcare use. Strategies geared to enhancing the provision and access to healthcare must consider the various mechanisms that contribute to healthcare need and use. Until now, the mechanism of violence and its impact on both health and healthcare use has not been investigated.

Humans of Penn Nursing: Josiah Borden, GRN’21

April 8 - “I was five years old in a public restroom when I made my decision to become a nurse. My mother was helping me get dressed for school, as she had countless mornings before, but this morning, for a reason I’ll never know, she took a very serious pause to tell me I could be anything I want someday.

Villarruel to Chair National Committee

April 7 -

Antonia Villarruel, PhD, RN, FAAN, the Margaret Bond Simon Dean of Nursing at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, will Chair the second phase of the National Academy of Medicine’s (NAM) Culture of Health Program (CoHP) Advisory Committee, which engages a diverse group of experts/advisors to provide strategic guidance to ensure the CoHP meets its intended aims. Her term runs from 2021 through 2023.

Underwood to be 2021 Penn Nursing Commencement Speaker

April 7 -

US Congresswoman Lauren Underwood, who serves Illinois’ 14th Congressional District, will be the 2021 Penn Nursing commencement speaker. The ceremony, which will be virtual due to the continuing pandemic, will take place on Monday, May 17, 2021 at 3:00 PM EST. Underwood is the first woman, the first person of color, and the first millennial to represent her community in Congress. She is also the youngest African American woman to serve in the United States House of Representatives.

International Award for Penn Nursing Professor

April 2 -

The International Society of Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurses (ISPN) recently awarded Penn Nursing’s Bridgette M. Brawner, PhD, MDiv, APRN, Associate Professor in the Department of Family and Community Health, its Diversity and Equity Award. The award was presented during the ISPN 23rd Annual Virtual Conference on March 24. Brawner will present the Diversity/Equity lecture at next year’s conference.

Policy Recommendations to End the Opioid and Overdose Crisis

April 1 -

The COVID-19 pandemic has worsened an existing drug overdose crisis that claimed the lives of more than 81,000 people in the U.S. from May 2019-June 2020. Penn Nursing’s Peggy Compton, PhD, RN, FAAN, van Ameringen Chair in Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing and Professor in the Department of Family and Community Health, and Shoshana Aronowitz, PhD, CRNP, a Fellow of the National Clinician Scholars Program, are co-authors on a recent policy brief from the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics Opioid Working Group that provides evidence-based recommendations for the government to consider in its response.

University Award for Penn Nursing Professor

March 30 -

The University of Pennsylvania is honoring Penn Nursing’s Salimah Meghani, PhD, MBE, RN, FAAN, with a 2021 Christian R. and Mary F. Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching. Dr. Meghani is Professor of Nursing in the Biobehavioral Health Sciences (BHS) Department, Term Chair of Palliative Care, Associate Director of the NewCourtland Center for Transitions and Health, and a Senior Fellow in the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics. She will receive her award during a virtual event on Monday, April 26, 2021 at 5:00 PM EST. Please register here.

Infants Experiencing Opioid Withdrawal More Often Treated in Poorer Quality Hospitals

March 25 -

The research from Penn Nursing analyzed information from three datasets accounting for 25 percent of U.S. births annually.

ASPEN Fellowship for Penn Nursing Professor

March 22 -

Sharon Y. Irving, PhD, CRNP, FCCM, FAAN, Associate Professor of Pediatric Nursing and Vice-Chair of Penn Nursing’s Department of Family and Community Health, has been named a 2021 Fellow of the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (ASPEN). She is one of 29 selected for the Class of 2021, which was announced March 20 during ASPEN’s 2021 Virtual Nutrition Science & Practice Conference.

Doulas Help Families Meet Breastfeeding Goals

March 19 -

Research from the School of Nursing shows that these support professionals can be another tool to improve outcomes for newborns and parents.

Congratulations to the 2021 Penn Nursing Faculty Award Recipients

March 18 - All the honorees will be recognized during our virtual, end of the year event on Thursday, May 27, 2021 3-5 PM EST.

From First Gen to Nurse Leader: Two Pathways to the Profession

March 17 - Dean Antonia Villarruel, PhD, RN, FAAN, and Marcus Henderson, MSN, RN, Lecturer at Penn Nursing, recently sat down together for a conversation about leadership, nursing, being former first-generation college students, and more. Their discussion was hosted by Campaign for Action, an initiative of AARP Foundation, AARP, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and was part of the Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action online summit held on February 24th.

Nurse Work Environment Influences Stroke Outcomes

March 17 -

Stroke remains a leading cause of death worldwide and one of the most common reasons for disability. While a wide variety of factors influence stroke outcomes, data show that avoiding readmissions and long lengths of stay among ischemic stroke patients has benefits for patients and health care systems alike. Although reduced readmission rates among various medical patients have been associated with better nurse work environments, it is unknown how the work environment might influence readmissions and length of stay for ischemic stroke patients.

Return to Work and the Path to Recovery after Serious Injury in Black Men

March 16 -

After a traumatic injury, returning to work (RTW) can be a strong indication of healing and rehabilitation and may play a pivotal role in promoting physical and functional recovery. But how does RTW after a traumatic injury affect mental health recovery, particularly in individuals who experience social and economic marginalization?

New NIH Appointment

March 11 -

Karen Glanz, PhD, MPH, the George A. Weiss University Professor in the School of Nursing and the Perelman School of Medicine; and a Senior Fellow at the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, has been appointed to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (BSSR) Integration Working Group.

Laporte Challenge Fund Inspires Fourteen New Endowed Fellowships

March 10 - With over 70 percent of our students reliant upon financial aid to afford a Penn Nursing education, fellowships are particularly critical, especially for students in our accelerated second degree and Masters programs who are often no longer eligible for certain types of aid. It was this need that inspired Andie Laporte, alumna and Chair of Penn Nursing’s Board of Advisors, to offer matching funds to anyone who would like to endow fellowships at the School. Thanks to Andie’s brilliant idea and generosity, donors established fourteen new fellowships for students in need, all designated for accelerated second degree and Masters students.

Deborah Watkins Bruner, PhD, to Receive the 16th Claire M. Fagin Distinguished Researcher Award

March 9 -

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. Dr. Bruner will deliver the lecture ‘Inspiration, Innovation and Impact’ virtually during the award presentation on April 15, 2021 from 3-4:30 PM EST.

Re-envisioning the Nursing PhD Degree

March 8 -

The PhD degree prepares nurse scientists to advance knowledge through research that improves health, translates into policy, and enhances education. However, as the role of the nurse has changed, and health care has grown more complex, there is a need to re-envision how PhD programs can attract, retain, and create the nurse-scientists of the future and improve patient care.

Humans of Penn Nursing: Lauren Marconi

March 5 - “I can’t believe it has been a year since we have been on lockdown, and it feels like the longest year of doing everything correctly, from social distancing to wearing masks. I started nursing school at Penn in June 2020 while studying completely online.

For the Sixth Consecutive Year, Penn Nursing is # 1 in the World

March 4 -

Since 2016, the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing (Penn Nursing) has been the #1 nursing school in the world. Penn Nursing again retains the top spot for 2021 according to a recent ranking by QS World University. The rankings highlight the world’s top universities in 51 different subject areas based on academic reputation, employer reputation, and research impact.