Welcome to the September 2024 ICN Monthly Update!

We are pleased to offer a summary of our endeavors, achievements, and notable events from the past month. We invite you to explore the latest developments, discoveries, and highlights within our community. Thank you for choosing to stay informed and engaged with us through our Monthly Update!

UN General Assembly

ICN brought a strong nursing presence to the 79th session of UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York from 21–27 September. ICN’s President Dr Pamela Cipriano led the ICN delegation, which included Dr Gill Adynski, ICN Nursing & Health Policy Analyst, and Dr Holly Shaw, ICN Representative at the UN Economic and Social Council. ICN’s President participated in the high-level meeting on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) held on 26 September, where the UNGA approved a political declaration with a set of targets and actions to reduce the unnecessary deaths associated with AMR annually by 10% by 2030.

Summit of the Future

Dr Cipriano represented ICN at the Summit of the Future, 22–23 September. UN Secretary-General António Guterres set the context for the ‘once-in-a-generation’ event by acknowledging the urgent need to revitalize multilateral collaboration and instruments to meet the enormous challenges the world is currently facing, referencing geopolitical conflicts, global inequalities and debt burdens, climate change, and the digital divide.

ICN’s President attended high-level Summit sessions on topics including transforming global governance, digital inclusivity, and turbocharging the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Several speakers made strong calls for sustainable financing and debt relief as well as more inclusive multilateral decision-making to shape a more equitable and resilient future for all.

Climate Week

ICN advocated for nursing at several NYC Climate Week events. Dr Cipriano spoke at  the first-of-its-kind “Health Systems Implementing Climate Action” event organized by the Yale Center on Climate Change and Health and the New York Academy of Medicine. Her contribution highlighted policy for health system readiness and resilience, and the importance of climate action within roadmaps for well-being  and meaning in work. Gill Adynski delivered the opening remarks at the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments (ANHE) “Climate Action for Health: Solutions from the Health Sector” event, emphasizing the crucial role of nurses in climate action. The ICN delegation also attended health and climate sessions hosted by organizations including WHO, Health Care Without Harm, and the World Bank's Climate Investment Funds. Read more about the UNGA, Summit of the Future, and Climate Week here.

Nordic Nurses’ Federation Conference

ICN CEO Howard Catton delivered a keynote address on safe staffing during the Nordic Nurses’ Federation Conference in Reykjavik on 12-13 September. Howard and Guðbjorg Palsdottir, President of the Icelandic Nurses' Association, met with Iceland Health Minister Willum Thor Thorsson before the Conference and had very productive discussions on the importance of safe staffing levels, advanced nursing practice, PHC and strengthening nursing leadership. The event included all our Nordic Associations and their Presidents were in attendance.

2024 HIMSS

The 2024 HIMSS European Health Conference and Exhibition, held in Rome, highlighted the critical role of nurses in the digital health transformation, with a special focus on their inclusion in all stages of digital innovation. ICN President Pamela Cipriano delivered a powerful keynote address, emphasizing the need to empower nurses with digital tools to reduce their workload, enhance workflows, and drive innovation. She highlighted the global workforce crisis in nursing, noting that many nurses are leaving the profession not due to a lack of passion but because of unsupportive job environments.

ENSA Annual General Meeting

Senior Nurse Advisor Erica Burton gave opening remarks at the European Early Career Nurses and Nursing Students´ Association (ENSA) Annual General Meeting, 17 September, sending greetings on behalf of ICN, updating ENSA members on the current work of ICN including updating on the establishment of the new ICN Alliance for Student and Early Career Nurses and sending encouraging words for their future nursing careers.

Integrating rehabilitation into primary care

We are excited to announce a collaboration between the World Rehabilitation Alliance (WRA) and ICN to enhance global health by advocating for and supporting the integration of rehabilitation into primary care. This collaboration supports the WRA’s Rehabilitation 2030 initiative, which advocates for universal access to rehabilitation services to enhance the well-being and function of people worldwide, especially as ageing populations and chronic diseases increase the demand for such care. Primary care providers, especially nurses, are in a unique position to assess patients' rehabilitation needs early on, offering a more seamless continuum of care.

For more information, visit the World Rehabilitation Alliance, Primary Care Stream.

JCI World Patient Safety Day International Webinar

Howard Catton joined the panel discussion for the International Webinar Diagnostic Safety: The Multidisciplinary Approach to Commemorate World Patient Safety Day 2024, which was organized by Joint Commission International on 17 September.

AI summit in Healthcare from Intelligent health at Inspired Minds

Head of Partnerships and Programmes Development Karine Lavoie attended the AI summit in Healthcare from Intelligent health at Inspired Minds on 14 September as a guest speaker on the topic Balancing innovation with cost and access: Why ensuring a people-first approach when identifying what problem we aim to solve helps to identify the appropriate technological solution. During this time she highlighted the importance of using ICNP as a common language with all other professionals working on the project.

6th Commonwealth Nurses and Midwives Conference

The President sent greetings to the 6th Commonwealth Nurses and Midwives Conference which was held in Malta, 27-28 September, in partnership with the Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses. The theme of the conference was “Health for all: nurses and midwives meeting the challenge, showing the way”.

WCET® & ASCN UK Joint Congress

The World Council of Enterostomal Therapists and the Association of Stoma Care Nurses UK held a joint Congress in Glasgow, 28 September-1 October with the theme, “Weaving Culture & Expertise to Offer the Best Patient Care”. WCET is an affiliate of ICN, and the ICN President provided a video greeting for the event.

ECSACONM Biennial Scientific Conference

The ICN President spoke at the 16th ECSACONM Biennial Scientific Conference in Lesotho on the role of evidence based practice and innovations in nursing and midwifery in combatting emerging and re-emerging pandemics

2024 UHC DAY CAMPAIGN

On 3 October, 2024 UHC2030 and the Coalition of Partnerships for UHC and Global Health launched the 2024 Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Day campaign leading up to 12 December. ICN President Cipriano, a co-chair of the UHC2030 Steering Committee, opened a one-hour webinar focused on the UHC Day 2024 theme, “Health: It’s on the government”, with a focus on how reducing financial barriers to health services helps protect people from impoverishing health costs and also generates substantial economic and social benefits. 

Over half the world’s population still lacks access to essential health services and 2 billion people globally are experiencing financial hardship to gain health services because they are having to pay out of pocket for their care.

Governments can accelerate progress towards health and well-being by providing greater financial protection along with access to services and supporting other essential needs like food, shelter and education.

The 2024 UHC Day campaign materials toolkit provides resources to use to contact your government to invest in health for all and protect those most vulnerable with financial protection.

The ODENNA programme continues to make solid progress as we kick-off more of our NAMI Mentorship Engagement collaborations. These mentorships are proving to be an invaluable resource, helping NNA teams advance their projects and we are actively seeking additional mentors, with a special focus on French-speaking NNAs, to support this crucial aspect of the program.

In the meantime, our ODENNA NNA teams are steadily moving forward, applying the skills and knowledge gained from Phase 1 workshops to further develop their projects. Stay tuned for upcoming training opportunities that will further strengthen NNA organizational development.

For more information or to express interest in becoming a mentor, please reach out to Jody Temple White at white@icn.ch.

LFC Suriname

The second Leadership for Change (LFC) Programme in Suriname will officially launch on 14 October. This initiative will be led by our esteemed local trainers, Angèle A. Wallerlei and Herman Jintie, with the generous support of the Ministry of Health of Suriname. A cohort of 30 participants has been selected to embark on this transformative journey, aimed at empowering healthcare professionals to drive positive change within the health sector.

This month, Lizzy Smeaton Russel, our new Humanitarian Liaison Officer, enthusiastically began her role, initiating a positive partnership with Direct Relief, a global leader in humanitarian aid. Lizzy started by identifying over 50 countries facing significant crises and humanitarian challenges. Meetings with NNAs in the most high priority countries have been initiated to explore potential collaboration efforts, resulting in positive and open responses. Information on unmet humanitarian needs within their health systems is being collected, and a survey has been distributed to gather nurses' perspectives on the availability of essential medicines.

Challenges include hosting large refugee populations, dealing with poly-crises such as conflict, climate disasters, severe malnutrition, displacement, infectious diseases, lack of healthcare access, and limited epidemiological surveillance. The data will support ICN’s shared humanitarian goal with Direct Relief to address healthcare gaps and improve medical supply chains in these challenging contexts.

In a recent webinar, ICN, the American Nurses Association, and leading institutions including the Yale School of Nursing, the Irvine Sue & Bill Gross School of Nursing at the University of California, Irvine, and the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, all came together to address the profound impact of conflict and crises on nurses and the communities they serve. The event spotlighted the harrowing conditions faced by nurses in conflict zones, the global relief efforts underway—including ICN’s humanitarian assistance through its #NursesForPeace campaign — and explored practical strategies that schools, associations, and individuals can follow to support nurses working on the front lines of these global crises.

You can support ICN’s #NursesforPeace Campaign by donating here.

In October, the highly anticipated GNLI 2024 Module 2 will kick off in Geneva, bringing together 32 senior nurse leaders from around the globe. We are thrilled to welcome this year's cohort, who will engage in dynamic discussions, learning, and collaboration aimed at advancing global nursing leadership.

The GNLI Programme Directors, Diana Mason and Patsy Yates, will lead thought-provoking sessions on critical topics: leading during crises, population health, the messaging triangle, and influencing the global policy agenda, among others.

This year’s programme boasts an exceptional lineup of speakers, including Dame Christine Beasley, DBE (non-Executive Director of Kings College Hospital N.H.S. Trust, Chairman of the Florence Nightingale Museum, and chair of the grant committee of the Burdett Trust for Nursing), ICN President Dr Pamela Cipriano, and ICN CEO Howard Catton. We are also honoured to have Margrieta Langins, WHO Europe’s Regional Lead, and Faith McLellan, WHO Scientific Writer, joining us to share their insights and expertise.

Scholars will also get to visit the WHO headquarters in Geneva, where they are scheduled to meet with the WHO Director-General and Chief Nursing Officer, providing a unique opportunity to engage with global health leaders. We are also excited to announce that invitations have been sent to the UN Ambassadors to join the closing ceremony and reception on Friday, 1 November 2024.

We look forward to welcoming everyone to Geneva for what promises to be an inspiring and impactful module.

For any questions about the GNLI programme, please contact Teresa Cintra at gnli@icn.ch.

The strategic refresh of the International Classification for Nursing Practice (ICNP) continues to advance. This month, ICN held a working meeting with SNOMED dedicated to task completion and finalizing the review process. Key topics included identifying potential areas for strategic growth in the partnership between SNOMED and ICN, refining the governance framework for ICNP, and developing a communication protocol to address future nursing development challenges and broader health system needs.

With these dialogues underway, we are confident in laying a strong foundation for the next phase of ICNP. We look forward to sharing these outcomes as we move toward finalizing the process.

Girl Child Education Fund

As we approach the last academic trimester, GCEF reflects on a month that reinforced our commitment to empowering orphaned daughters of nurses through education.

In September, we celebrated both the International Day of Charity and International Literacy Day, two occasions that highlight the profound impact of education in breaking the cycle of poverty and creating opportunities for the future. These celebrations remind us of the importance of investing in the education of girls, honouring the legacy of selfless nurses, and combating scourges such as child marriage and other social abuses.

You can read more about our work and impact in the GCEF Activity Report 2023, available on our website.

If you're interested in supporting this cause, donations can be made through ICN's bank account or online portal.  If you have any questions about GCEF, please contact us at gcef@icn.ch.

ICN Congress 2025

We are excited to announce that we have received over 11’000 abstract submissions for the upcoming Congress. This overwhelming response highlights the enthusiasm and engagement within our community. We encourage everyone to stay tuned, as early-bird registrations will be opening soon. Don’t miss your chance to be part of this incredible event!

ICN NP/APN Conference

At the ICN NP/APN Conference in Aberdeen, from 9-12 September, David Stewart, Deputy Chief Nursing Officer at ICN, emphasized the crucial role of advanced practice nurses in achieving universal health coverage. Howard Catton discussed the future of nursing leadership, stressing nurse-led PHC is the way forward if our health systems are to thrive and be sustained in the years to come. He called for strong leadership and advocacy skills among APNs to influence policy decisions and addressed challenges like workforce shortages and the need for better working conditions. The conference, themed “Advanced Practice Nursing: An Invaluable Investment for Global Health,” brought together over 800 delegates from around the world.

Princess Muna Al-Hussein: guest of honour at ICN’s 125th anniversary celebration

ICN and the Order of Nurses, Midwives, and Medical Assistants of Romania (OAMGMAMR) are thrilled to announce that Her Royal Highness Princess Muna Al-Hussein of Jordan will be the guest of honour at ICN's 125th Anniversary Celebration, set to take place in Bucharest, Romania, on 21-22 October 2024. Read more here and find out more at https://icn125.org/.

ICN Primary Health Care Report

ICN has launched a discussion paper entitled Nursing and Primary Health Care - Towards the realization of Universal Health Coverage, which sets out a transformative agenda to revolutionize Primary Health Care, which ICN believes is essential if the goal of Universal Health Coverage is ever to become a reality. At the same time, ICN released a new position statement on PHC as the future of health care and nurses’ roles in making ICN’s vision a reality.

INTERNATIONAL NURSES DAY 2025: Focusing on the Health and Wellbeing of Nurses

Nurses are the backbone of healthcare, providing essential care to patients across the globe. Yet, their own health and wellbeing often lag behind those of the general population. For International Nurses Day 2025 (IND), we are focusing on the health and wellbeing of nurses, highlighting how it affects not only the economy and healthcare systems but also the broader community. This year’s theme aims to shed light on the challenges nurses face, advocate for systemic change, and improve the overall health of the nursing workforce.

ICN has commissioned C3 Collaborating for Health to develop resources for IND 2025, with a report that explores nurses' health and wellbeing and demonstrates how supporting the nursing workforce can yield significant economic benefits. Nurses face many well-documented challenges, including mental health issues, obesity, infectious and non-communicable diseases (NCDs), workplace violence, moral distress, musculoskeletal injuries, and sleep disorders.

We are eager to hear about initiatives that are making a difference! We invite you to share your insights by completing this survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CMHYPQZ by 15th November.

Additionally, we are calling on all members and partners to submit Case Studies for our IND 2025 report, showcasing efforts to improve the health and wellbeing of nurses and their impact on economies. Please submit your case studies, along with photos, via the following form: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/INDCaseStudy by 29th November.

Thank you for your valuable contributions in supporting this important initiative.

World Patient Safety Day

On World Patient Safety Day, 17 September, ICN underscored the vital role that nurses play within the multidisciplinary team in the process of diagnosing a health problem. This year’s theme, Improving Diagnosis for Patient Safety - along with the slogan Get it right, make it safe! highlighted the critical importance of correct and timely diagnosis in ensuring patient safety and improving health outcomes.

ICN President Dr Pamela Cipriano emphasized that diagnosis must be a team effort, with nurses at the centre. Click here for more information about World Patient Safety Day