ICN Webinar: Empowering Student and Early Career Nurses to Shape the Future

Other ICN Events Online
7 May 2026
SECN

This webinar was developed in alignment with the International Council of Nurses’ 2026 International Nurses Day theme and report, “Our Nurses. Our Future. Empowered Nurses Save Lives.”

It created a space for SECNs to engage with the report’s central message: that nurses had the power to transform health systems, improve health outcomes, and shape the future of care when they were enabled to practice to their fullest potential.

It also highlighted how SECNs were already contributing to this vision in meaningful ways, while providing an opportunity to reflect on what was needed to further strengthen nursing impact, leadership, and visibility.

Watch the webinar recording here

 

Speakers  

  • Ali Karout, ICN SECN Alliance Steering Committee Member 

  • Idah Msimuko, ICN SECN Alliance Representative for National Organisation of Nurses and Midwives of Malawi 

  • Arnold Mokshit, ICN SECN Alliance Representative for Indian Nursing Council 

  • Miranda Garcia Zeliz, ICN SECN Alliance Representative for Argentine Federation of Nursing 

Objectives

  • Introduce student and early career nurses to the key message of the IND 2026 report 

  • Explore how selected “powers” of nursing apply to the realities and contributions of student and early career nurses 

  • Showcase practical and inspiring examples from national, regional, or local contexts 

  • Encourage dialogue amongst participants on how student and early career nurses can be further empowered to shape the future of health care 

Presentations 

The webinar brought together a series of powerful reflections from ICN leaders and SECN Alliance Representatives, underscoring the critical role of student and early career nurses in shaping global health. 

Erica Burton, ICN Senior Policy Advisor, opened the session by noting that the webinar was the first to be hosted by the ICN SECN Alliance, marking a major milestone in the journey to unify the voice of student and early career nurses globally. She highlighted that the voice of student and early career nurses is not just an addition to global health and nursing policy dialogue but is central to the dialogue and explained that the ICN SECN Alliance was established to unify and strengthen this global voice. 

David Stewart, ICN Director of Nursing Policy and Practice, presented the newly released International Nurses Day 2026 Report, which introduces the concept of the “7 Powers of Nursing”, each of which has transformative, evidence-based impacts on health outcomes, equity, and economic prosperity. He highlighted that empowering nurses means having the investment, policy, and fair and safe working conditions in place that enable nurses to use their powers to the fullest and that this must include nurse leadership. 

Arnold Mokshit, ICN SECN Alliance Representative for Indian Nursing Council, focused on the Power of Professional. He explained how strong, standardised and competency-based education systems, combined with leadership development and active student participation, are fundamental to strengthening healthcare systems. He emphasised that empowerment begins at the very start of nursing education and is reinforced through exposure to clinical settings, professional identity formation, and engagement in governance structures. 

Miranda Garcia Zeliz, ICN SECN Alliance Representative for Argentine Federation of Nursing, explored the Power of Peace, illustrating how nurses contribute to social cohesion, inclusion and stability. She highlighted their role in delivering culturally sensitive care, supporting vulnerable populations and responding to crises, including work with indigenous communities and during natural disasters. She underscored that without peace there is no health, and without health there is no peace, emphasising that nurses are key actors in building more equitable societies. 

Idah Msimuko, ICN SECN Alliance Representative for National Organisation of Nurses and Midwives of Malawi, highlighted the Power of Numbers, demonstrating how collective action amongst student nurses can drive change through solidarity, advocacy and mutual support. She shared examples of student mobilisation during a scholarship crisis, where collective efforts helped support peers and push for systemic solutions, illustrating how collective action can transform individual efforts into powerful movements. 

Ali Karout, ICN SECN Alliance Steering Committee Member and Representative for the Lebanese Order of Nurses, concluded by emphasising that the webinar conveyed clear strategic messages: student and early career nurses are already leaders, advocates, and changemakers. Investing in the nursing workforce not only saves lives but also strengthens economies, and empowering nurses must remain a global priority. Key areas identified include improving safety, ensuring fair salaries, expanding access to education and leadership opportunities, increasing political recognition, protecting nurses from violence, and enabling them to work to their full scope of practice. 

Find all the presentations here

Outcomes 

The webinar demonstrated that: 

  • student and early career nurses are already shaping the future of healthcare, 

  • empowered nurses save and transform lives, strengthen health systems, and supports social stability and economic prosperity, 

  • investment is critical to unlock the impact of nursing’s powers. 

Useful resources