ICN congratulates graduates of its latest Leadership for Change programme, held in Bangladesh

Nearly 100 nurses in Bangladesh have recently completed the International Council of Nurses Leadership for Change (LFC) programme.

The 96 participants, working in four cohorts, have undertaken a series of workshops and have been working on projects designed to make a real difference to leadership in nursing in the health services where they work.

The 20 projects undertaken by the participants are aimed at increasing workplace safety for nurses, improving nurses’ work environments, strengthening the safety and quality of healthcare services, and enhancing effective communication within the nursing team and with patients and their families.

21 of the graduates have been selected to undergo the LFC Training of Trainers programme, who will be helping to secure the future of LFC in Bangladesh.

ICN Chief Executive Officer Howard Catton said: “I have said many times that the only way to achieve strong and effective health systems is to have strong nurse leaders involved at all the key critical decision-making points in the system.

‘Nurse leaders know and understand people’s needs and how to make the right decisions to deliver the best health care and achieve the most positive health outcomes. If nursing is not represented throughout the health system, we are flying blind.

‘ICN is proud to continue its long-standing work to grow nursing leadership capacity, and I want to express my congratulations and gratitude to the nurses in Bangladesh who have completed their LFC programme. I am sure they are already making a difference to their colleagues and the patients they serve.

‘Having a cohort of new trainers is also incredibly welcome because it will mean that they can pass on their knowledge and experience to other nurses right across Bangladesh. I am sure that soon we will see the benefits of improved nursing leadership in the form of better health outcomes for the people of Bangladesh.”

LFC Programme Director Dr Kristine Qureshi said: “We expect that these ICN LFC programme graduates will now go forward and lead change to improve the quality of care for their patients, as well as the workplace environment for their fellow healthcare workers.

‘The 21 new LFC trainers in Bangladesh have been well prepared to provide LFC training to other nurses across the country. This training of trainers approach serves as a multiplier for increasing the impact of the LFC programme nationwide.”

ICN is grateful for the support of the local partner organization, ProNurse Project, which aims to improve the quality of gender-responsive education and enhance the professional status of nurses in Bangladesh.

The LFC Bangladesh programme was made possible with the generous financial assistance of Global Affairs Canada and Cowater International. ICN intends to establish a two-year LFC License Agreement with Cowater to enable it to implement LFC through till 2026.

Cowater Project Director Lubana Ahmed said: “Cowater is committed to the empowerment of women and believes strongly in the transformative power of locally driven change. We have witnessed in the past decade the positive changes nurses bring to patients, systems and communities in Bangladesh. ProNurse has supported these nurse leaders, who are now carrying out projects to effect changes in nursing education and patient care.”