Penn Nursing

02/07/2026

Dr. Carmen Alvarez is our inaugural Associate Dean for Global Engagement and Afaf I. Meleis Director of the Center for Global Women’s Health as of Feb. 1.

A professor in the Department of Family and Community Health, Dr. Alvarez will lead Penn Nursing’s global strategy and advance the Center’s educational and research mission, strengthening partnerships that promote health equity worldwide.

Trained as a family nurse practitioner and certified nurse-midwife, Dr. Alvarez’s work spans Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, and Europe, with collaborations including the World Health Organization and the Pan American Health Organization. Her research focuses on trauma-informed, equity-centered interventions—most notably *Cuidándome*, a telehealth program supporting Latina immigrant survivors of violence and childhood adversity.

“In this inaugural role, Dr. Alvarez will leverage her strategic vision and global partnerships to elevate Penn Nursing’s international presence and create transformative opportunities for faculty, students, and communities—advancing health equity from Philadelphia to the world,” the School shared in a press release.

Dr. Alvarez was named Penn’s first Presidential Professor at Penn Nursing in 2022. Her appointment reflects the School’s continued momentum under Dean Antonia Villarruel’s leadership, following Penn Nursing’s nine consecutive years ranked No. 1 globally by QS World University Rankings.

Congratulations to Dr. Alvarez on this landmark appointment and expanded leadership role.

02/06/2026

How do we drive innovation in healthcare? By understanding where we’ve been.

Penn Nursing is honored to partner with the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) to preserve its extensive archival collection at the Barbara Bates Center for the Study of the History of Nursing—one of the world’s leading repositories for nursing history.

Under the leadership of Dr. J. Margo Brooks Carthon, director of the Bates Center, this work goes beyond preservation. It provides critical context for policy, education, and practice innovation across the nursing profession.

> “It’s hard to innovate unless we have a sense of where we’ve been,” Dr. Carthon notes. “History gives us perspective on our potential.”

This multi-year effort will make AACN’s history accessible worldwide, strengthening nursing’s collective memory and advancing health equity through scholarship.

🔗 Read more via ASAE: https://bit.ly/46rP0n1

AACN is partnering with the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Nursing to safeguard its records and make them accessible to researchers.

02/05/2026

Unlock Your Innovation Potential with the Penn Nursing Innovation Accelerator!

Are you a nurse with an idea that could make care better? Have you ever thought, “There has to be a better way,” and wished you had the support, guidance, and funding to explore it?

The Penn Nursing Innovation Accelerator is designed to help busy nurses turn early-stage ideas into real-world solutions.

💡 What awardees receive:
• $10,000–$20,000 in funding
• Dedicated mentorship
• Brief, high-impact education sessions tailored to clinicians

In return, we ask you to bring your curiosity, frontline insight, and commitment to doing the work. Deadline: Feb. 20.
🔗 Learn more and see if the Accelerator is right for you: https://bit.ly/4sOSbiu

Funding, mentorship, and practical training to move early-stage solutions forward and improve health outcomes where they are needed most.

02/04/2026

Save the Date & Register: Penn Nursing Alumni – NYC Reception
February 26, 2026 | 5–7 PM EST

Penn Nursing Alumni will be gathering in New York City on February 26 for an evening of networking, community, and conversation. Join fellow alumni to reconnect, build professional connections, and hear updates from a featured faculty speaker.

Location and more details about the venue will be available soon. We look forward to seeing many of you there. Register here: https://bit.ly/4s7fzag

02/03/2026

Join us in honoring Black History Month with a special Film Screening and Panel Discussion of “The Power to Heal: Medicare and the Civil Rights Revolution.”

📅 February 11
🕒 3:00–5:00 p.m.
📍 Fagin Hall, Room 116

This powerful documentary explores the vital role of the Civil Rights Movement in shaping Medicare and expanding access to health care in the United States. The screening will be followed by a thoughtful panel discussion.

We hope you’ll join us for this important conversation.
🔗 Learn more and RSVP: https://bit.ly/4srX7cI

02/02/2026

Landmark evidence that better work environments lead to better care—at scale.

A major international study published in Medical Care shows that Magnet4Europe, a large-scale hospital intervention co-led by Penn Nursing’s Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research (CHOPR) and KU Leuven, significantly improved clinician wellbeing and patient safety across Europe.

Over two years, 56 hospitals in six European countries partnered with 65 U.S. Magnet hospitals, including all six Penn Medicine hospitals, to adapt and implement the Magnet Model® for workplace excellence. The results were compelling: meaningful reductions in nurse burnout and intent to leave, alongside measurable improvements in care quality and patient safety. Notably, even partial adoption mattered. Each 10% increase in Magnet implementation was associated with a 2.7 percentage-point drop in nurses planning to leave, underscoring that retention is driven by culture and environment—not resilience alone.

Magnet4Europe demonstrated that deep organizational change is possible, even under extreme strain. As Linda H. Aiken, PhD, RN, FAAN, FRCN, notes: This is a playbook for hospital leaders who want to retain staff and keep patients safe.

A powerful reminder that investing in healthy work environments is not optional—it is foundational to safe, high-quality care. https://bit.ly/3NHJUfO

A groundbreaking international intervention co- led by the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing's Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research (C...

02/02/2026

Check out Newsletter 3 from Partnered Research In Sleep Medicine (PRISM). https://bit.ly/4qSh3nO

02/02/2026

Black History Month Salute:
Honoring the brilliance, care, and leadership of Black nurses whose work shapes health care yesterday, today, and tomorrow. At Penn Nursing, we celebrate this legacy and support Black nurses leading more just, equitable care.

01/30/2026

Unlock Your Innovation Potential with the Penn Nursing Innovation Accelerator

Have an idea that could make care better? The Penn Nursing Innovation Accelerator helps busy nurses turn early-stage ideas into real-world solutions.

What awardees receive:$10,000–$20,000 in funding, expert mentorship, and brief, high-impact education sessions. Awardees will participate in either Pennovation Works Accelerator sessions (Sept 16–Oct 21) or Penn Health Tech Huddles (fall; dates TBD). This year’s tracks: Ready to Practice – supporting new nurses (up to $20K); LGBTQ Health – advancing equity and well-being (up to $20K); General Health & Healthcare – innovative solutions across health and care delivery (up to $10K)

Open to Penn Nursing faculty and students and full-time nurses at Penn Medicine hospitals or partner sites (with a Penn Nursing faculty member or student as lead or co-lead). Partner support available.

Help shape the future of healthcare—apply today. 👉 Register for a virtual info session: January 27 | 12:00 PM ET

Funding, mentorship, and practical training to move early-stage solutions forward and improve health outcomes where they are needed most.

01/29/2026

In the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s enduring commitment to justice and service, Penn Nursing's Office of School and Community Engagement is launching its inaugural 2026 MLK Community Care Donation Drive.

This initiative invites our community to put Dr. King’s words into action by supporting Project HOME, whose work advances housing, health, and opportunity for individuals experiencing homelessness.

“Giving liberates the soul of the giver.” — Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

We encourage faculty, staff, students, and partners to participate and help extend care beyond our walls and into our community.

01/28/2026

Explore history through care. Experience it for free.

Penn faculty, staff, and students are invited to Nursing the Revolution, a free exhibit running January 14–November 20 as part of Penn’s America 250 programming. The exhibit, housed in Penn Nursing's Bates Center, uncovers the critical yet often overlooked role of nurses during the American Revolution and challenges the myth that nursing began in the 19th century. Discover rare evidence of caregiving that shaped early American healthcare long before it was formally recognized. The Barbara Bates Center for the Study of the History of Nursing is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year.

Free and open to the Penn community. https://bit.ly/4pu4QEg

Explore the overlooked yet essential role of nurses during the American Revolution, whose vital work helped shape early American healthcare.

01/27/2026

Cheers & Connections: Penn Nursing - NYC Alumni Reception
Reconnect, network, and celebrate with the New York City-area Penn Nursing community at our upcoming alumni reception! Join us on February 26 5-7pm for a chance to catch up with fellow alumni, expand your professional network, and hear exciting updates from a featured faculty speaker. Open to all members of the Penn Nursing community, this is an evening you won’t want to miss. Join us for a night of camaraderie and connection by registering https://bit.ly/4s7fzag.