José Luis Cobos Serrano

ICN over the years has been joining efforts to become the true representative of nursing worldwide, but it still needs to be consolidated. Likewise, we live in a globalized world in which we have an increasingly aging, multi-pathological, poly-medicated population with high levels of chronicity.

It is essential for ICN to be a true driver of a paradigm shift in health policies, extolling nursing care and the leadership of nurses as the true pillars and support of health systems worldwide.

My proposal for the next Board will be to focus attention on three fundamental axes:

- ICN as the spokesperson and representative of nurses globally.

- The ICN as a unifying axis of all the NNAs, making our organization stronger.

- Empower nurses and the NNAs so that Nursing becomes the backbone of the Health Systems.

Through the following actions and policies:

- Contribute to make ICN the reference body for Nursing worldwide, enhancing its leadership.

- Influence health policies at world level and encourage the NNAs to do so at the level of their countries and regions.

- To empower the CRN as a true representative body of the NNAs and to establish strategies and policies for the future of world nursing.

- To bring the institutions of Nursing representation closer to all nurses.

- Making ICN sustainable, efficient and ensuring its sustainability.

- To work together with all the NNAs to try to unify the concept and the figure of what a nurse represents, both from the academic and professional point of view.

- Defend the interests of nurses to be able to work in dignified and safe conditions, specifically in terms of:

° Decent wages

° Protective measures

° Biosafety/dangerous drugs

° Assaults on nurses

° Adequacy of human resources: planning, nurse/patient ratios, etc.

- Urge countries to implement policies to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

- Support the establishment of policies to avoid the abandonment of the profession, return of professionals, promotion of new students.

- Promote and support nurse leaders in political responsibilities at national, regional and global levels.

- Encourage continuing education and postgraduate training (masters, doctorates in nursing).

- To promote communication between ICN and NNAs, as well as the visibility of ICN and its policies in the media.

- Generate and consolidate new nursing competencies, with the support of specific forums (nursing prescription, advanced practice, school nursing...).

- Promote and sponsor nursing research as a support for professional practice.

- Promote innovation and make tools available to world nursing that facilitate and enable safe professional practice (tele-nursing, computerized records, etc.).

In short, the aim is to achieve a strong organization and that society in general and governments count on nurses and nursing as a fundamental part of their health systems.