ICN Annual Report for 2023 demonstrates power of solidarity among nurses

The International Council of Nurses 2023 Annual Report demonstrates the strength and power of the nursing profession and how it can improve global health by working together.

In a foreword to the report, Dr Pamela Cipriano, ICN President said:

“... it is with great pride that I look back on the leadership, training, guidance and advocacy that ICN has provided for this great profession in 2023...Solidarity in the nursing profession is at the heart of what we do, and has been since ICN was founded 125 years ago. Through the ICN Congress, webinars, workforce forums, and other meetings, we provided many opportunities and platforms where nurses can come together to learn, share and make a real impact. As we move forward, we will continue to seize the opportunities to influence, impact and lead the world to global health.”

Highlights of the report include the 2023 ICN Congress in Montreal, Canada which brought thousands of nurses, health experts and global leaders together; the launch of the ODENNA project which is designed to strengthen the ability of national nursing associations to influence health outcomes and build respect, recognition and support for the nursing profession: a new global online learning platform to broaden nurses’ knowledge about issues that are vital to the profession and to global health; and the launch of the new ICN visual image and logo!

Notable publications by ICN in 2023 included Recover to Rebuild: Investing in the Nursing Workforce for Health System Effectiveness which called for sufficient investment in a well-supported global nursing workforce; and a history of ICN entitled, The Global Voice of Nursing: A history of the International Council of Nurses from 1899 to 2022.

In 2023, ICN chose the theme Our Nurses. Our Future. for International Nurses Day setting out what ICN wants for nursing in the future in order to address the global health challenges and improve global health for all. ICN also launched its Charter for Change which presents 10 policy actions that governments and employers must take to create and sustain health care systems that are safe, affordable, accessible, and responsive and shift nurses from being invisible to invaluable.

ICN’s 2023 Annual Report, available in English, French and Spanish, outlines ICN’s impact on policy development and implementation through its work with the United Nations, the World Health Organization, and other global organizations; and details its work on Universal Health Coverage, pandemic preparedness and response; patient safety; gender equity; climate change; peace and human rights, amongst other topics of global importance.