Every year, during Nursing Week, HUP celebrates the many ways its nursing staff bring patient care and the patient experience to new levels. And this year was no exception.
The week kicked off with a sweet beginning — prepackaged muffins and donuts — handed out as nurses entered HUP-Cedar and HUP-Spruce on Monday, May 3. Throughout the week, self-care virtual activities —more important this year than ever — included how-tos for aromatherapy and art therapy at home, as well as yoga and Mindful Meditation offered by Michael Baime, MD, director of the Penn Program for Mindfulness.
As part of HUP’s community partnership activities during Nursing Week, a team of nurses — from HUP-Cedar and HUP-Spruce — got out their gardening gear to clean up and spread mulch throughout Malcolm X Park, located in West Philadelphia. The Community Day Health Fair that followed, which took place at Cedar Gardens, offered residents the opportunity to connect with primary care practices, learn about reversing an opioid overdose using Narcan rescue spray, and receive behavioral health education and resources. An “Ask a Nurse” table invited community members to improve their health. Topics included information on diabetes, heart disease, and the COVID-19 vaccine.
“We were excited to collaborate with our new partner, Public Health Management Corporation, and highlight their community programs,” said Sofia Carreno, MSN, Nursing Professional Development Specialist in Community Engagement, adding that “[PHMC] Director of Community Engagement Aunya Grimsley has been a great partner and leader to work with on this event.
“We wanted to highlight the fact that there are plenty of great resources and information out there when it comes to navigating your health,” she continued. “More than anything this event was about connecting with community members and building that relationship.”
Virtual presentations allowed viewing throughout the Health System. Regina Cunningham, PhD, RN, CEO of HUP, spoke about the Future of Nursing 2020-2030. The entity CNOs hosted a panel discussion on career trajectory, talking about the paths their careers have taken and offering advice on how nurses can advance their own careers. Keynote speaker Rebecca Skloot, author of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, and members of the Lacks family, discussed the unethical use of Lacks’s cervical cancer cells, without her knowledge or any compensation. This cell line, known as HeLa, became the basis for many important discoveries, such as the polio vaccine, gene mapping and in vitro fertilization.
And as a special recognition — thank you from the Penn School of Nursing! — a pre-recorded message from Jon Bon Jovi thanked nurses for all they do.