Office Space: Klaudia Ćwiękała-Lewis (Assistant Professor, Nursing)

The way a person decorates can say a lot about them. In the Office Space series, we go beyond the résumé and get to know York College faculty and staff members through the objects they like to keep close.

Dr. Klaudia Ćwiękała-Lewis is actively involved in international and global nursing collaboration and is currently working on a collaborative agreement between Polish and Greek universities. Not surprisingly, many of her office items are health-related and highlight her passion for nursing.

1. American Red Cross Disaster Preparedness Kit

Dr. Ćwiękała-Lewis is the Regional Nurse Leader for central Pennsylvania’s American Red Cross division and serves on the disaster response team. She uses the kit in her courses as a sample for her students to make their own disaster-relief kits, so they can be safe during a disaster and ready and willing to help others if they are called to do so.

2. Stethoscope

She keeps her stethoscope close by as a reminder not only for herself, but also for her students, that machines often fail. “Nurses must have strong assessment skills.” she says. “Technology is great, but it should be aiding us to illustrate the holistic picture. For nurses, technology should never replace our hands-on assessment, listening, and compassion.”

3. Parkinson’s Foundation Pack

As a public health nurse, Dr. Ćwiękała-Lewis is familiar with Parkinson’s disease and advocates for greater understanding and awareness. The pack is available free to patients with the disease. She says that medications for treatment have side effects that can lead to false symptoms of intoxication. She teaches her students to treat patients with care and be mindful of this fact so they do not misdiagnose.

4. Tiny Globe

This small globe symbolizes Dr. Ćwiękała-Lewis’s deep interest in travel and international relations for nurses. She is actively working to bring more opportunities for Nursing students to experience public health in other countries. With clinicals and tight scheduling, not to mention the effects of COVID-19, it isn’t easy for Nursing students to find the time to travel. “We are planning to be able to offer abroad study experiences for Nursing students during Intersession,” she says. The globe also serves as a reminder of her role as a member of the York College of Pennsylvania Global Leadership Team.

Dr. Ćwiękała-Lewis is internationally recognized for her work in nursing. She earned her PhD at the University of Arizona, a Master of Nursing from Drexel University, and BSN in Nursing from Cedar Crest College. Her doctoral dissertation was titled: “Descriptive Correlational Study to Examine Variables and Relationships Proposed in Conceptual Framework of Virtual Transitioning Program Developed for Foreign Educated Nurses (FEN).” She is a board-certified Advanced Public Health Nurse (APHN-BC) and Edmond J. Safra Visiting Nurse Scholar at the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation.