Nursing | Penn Today

Philadelphia Inquirer

Why the coronavirus and most other viruses have no cure

David Barnes of the School of Arts and Sciences spoke about the role of supportive care during viral outbreaks. “There are actually plenty of cures for viral illnesses,” he said. “We just don’t think of them as cures. We’re still kind of myopically fixated on finding a cure, when what we really should be doing is getting adequate basic nursing care for all patients.”

front steps of Penn Nursing’s Fagin Hall in sunlight

Flattening the curve of the coronavirus

In the current fast-moving, unprecedented situation, what we do today to stem the impact of COVID-19 can vastly affect what we will face tomorrow. Two epidemiologists discuss what we can do individually and as a society to slow the spread of the disease.

Sign on a chain-link fence reads "This is a gun-free zone."

Firearm violence solutions from a public health perspective

An article by two Penn researchers advises that treating firearm violence as a disease and taking a public health approach to prevention and treatment can help reduce its harm.

A young baby in only a diaper being held over another person's shoulder, which is bare.

For babies with congenital heart disease, skin-to-skin contact proves safe and beneficial

Research from Penn Nursing and CHOP argues that for this population, “kangaroo care” can and should become routine.

Philadelphia Inquirer

More than half of Pa. school nurses stock the overdose reversal drug naloxone, Penn study finds

Catherine McDonald of the School of Nursing led a study that found that more than half of Pennsylvania school nurses keep the opioid-overdose drug naloxone at their schools. “I didn’t anticipate it would be that high, although it also indicates we could do better to get to a higher number,” she said.

Huffington Post

There’s so much we still don’t know about pain

Rosemary Polomano of the School of Nursing said the rise of doctors prescribing opioids to treat chronic pain in the late 20th century “was not based on strong science.”

A soft robot mimicking octopus skin, to develop the basis for a new type of soft robot.

Engineers and nurses team up to build inflatable robots

Penn Engineering and Penn Nursing’s collaboration in this new area of “soft robotics” is critical for designing machines that can safely interact with people in health care settings.

Philadelphia Inquirer

Cancer patients’ desire to avoid opioids puts them at risk of harm including overdose, Penn study finds

Salimah H. Meghani of the School of Nursing led a study that found that opioid mismanagement, such as going on and off the drugs or stockpiling pills, may expose patients to harm.

WHYY (Philadelphia)

Why mandated nurse-to-patient ratios have become one of the most controversial ideas in health care

Linda Aiken of the School of Nursing said that mandated nurse-to-patient ratios result in fewer complications, infections, and injuries, as well as lower mortality rates.

Person holding a packet of prescription pills and a glass of water

Seven years later, PrEP access remains a challenge

Getting PrEP in the hands of high-risk communities remains a challenge; Penn researchers and practitioners are finding ways to reduce barriers and investigate new forms of the drug.

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Why the coronavirus and most other viruses have no cure

Flattening the curve of the coronavirus

Firearm violence solutions from a public health perspective

For babies with congenital heart disease, skin-to-skin contact proves safe and beneficial

More than half of Pa. school nurses stock the overdose reversal drug naloxone, Penn study finds

There’s so much we still don’t know about pain

Engineers and nurses team up to build inflatable robots

Cancer patients’ desire to avoid opioids puts them at risk of harm including overdose, Penn study finds

Why mandated nurse-to-patient ratios have become one of the most controversial ideas in health care

Seven years later, PrEP access remains a challenge