GNLI Alumni 2024: a powerhouse for change

The International Council of Nurses (ICN) Global Nursing Leadership Institute (GNLI) Annual Meeting honoured more than 200 alumni for their contributions and strategic influence on global health policy.

The virtual meeting also set the future direction of the GNLI Alumni which comprises nurse leaders from around the world identifying future priorities, fostering peer support and collaboration, and providing opportunities for alumni to participate in technical and expert working groups, contribute to policy development, and engage in ICN Congress activities.

During this meeting ICN CEO Howard Catton congratulated the 2023 GNLI cohort for their remarkable achievements and contributions to nursing leadership. Catton described GNLI as “a powerhouse for change,” expressing gratitude to the GNLI alumni for their unwavering commitment to ICN's mission and their tireless advocacy and energy in advancing the nursing profession globally.

Reflecting on her GNLI experience in 2013, WHO Chief Nursing Officer Dr Amelia Latu Afuhaamango Tuipulotu praised the programme’s visionary approach to health system redesign. She emphasized its ongoing global relevance and its impact on her leadership journey, particularly in enhancing safety, quality, and trust in nursing practice.

Furthermore, ICN engaged with the GNLI Alumni on its significant project to revise its definitions of the terms “nursing” and “nurse.” The “Definition of Nursing” project aims to critically review and update the ICN definitions of 'Nurse' and 'Nursing,' last revised 25 years ago. This initiative acknowledges the evolution of the nursing profession and its adapting role in healthcare, whilst also being faithful to its legacy and history.

Jill White, Professor Emerita at the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery of the University of Sydney, underscored the challenge and necessity of this effort, stating: “It's really important that we look for the common elements that bind nurses together to create a definition useful for all 28 million nurses globally, while acknowledging the complexity and variety of nursing.”

The GNLI project team will employ a modified Delphi approach with globally identified experts. They will convene conversations with GNLI alumni and other ICN pools of experts (representing different regions, contexts, generations, and perspectives) and use surveys for data collection and iterative feedback. Scheduled to unfold over the next 12 months, the project aims to finalize and ratify these new definitions at the ICN Congress 2025 in Helsinki. ICN wishes to acknowledge and thank the Burdett Trust for Nursing, the Carousel Health Foundation and Project Kesher for supporting the GNLI programme.