Celebrate 25 years of the ICN NP/APN Network!

Join us in Nashville, Tennessee, known as “Music City, USA" to experience a vibrant music scene, Southern hospitality, and diverse blend of culture, cuisine, and entertainment.

We will celebrate 25 years of the network with inspiring keynote speakers, global collaborations, and a renewed focus on innovation, access, and impact in advanced practice nursing worldwide. Vanderbilt University School of Nursing is proud to host the 14th NP/APN Network conference, with endorsement from the American Nurses Association (ANA), as it returns to the United States.

Together, we can elevate global NP/APN practice! Check out the Conference Details

ICN President meets WHO leaders to strengthen partnership and raise critical issues

ICN President Dr José Luis Cobos Serrano met with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Assistant Director-General of Health Systems, Dr Yukiko Nakatani, who will oversee the newly-combined WHO Academy, Health Workforce and Nursing department as well as Chief Nursing Officer Dr Amelia Latu Afuhaamango Tuipulotu and senior health workforce advisers. Dr Cobos Serrano was on his first official visit to Geneva and was accompanied by ICN CEO Howard Catton. ICN and WHO leaders engaged in open and detailed discussions about the current restructuring of WHO and the critical importance of ensuring expert nursing advice is available across all WHO functions while addressing the breadth of the health workforce agenda including shortages, decent work and migration.

Salvador de Bahía, Brazil - COFEN Congress

ICN’s President participated in the Federal Council of Nursing (COFEN) congress, delivering an inspirational opening speech that emphasized nurses' vital role in transforming health care toward preventive, primary care models and presented ICN's evidence on the economic power of nursing. He also spoke at the Advanced Practice Nursing Seminar on "Advanced Practice Nursing Education Models: ICN's Vision”, advocating for urgent action to empower advanced practice nurses to practice to their full scope and for high-quality competency-based education for advanced practice.

Mumbai, India - Global Digital Health Summit

ICN President Jose Luis Cobos Serrano delivered an important keynote speech on nurses' critical role in driving digital health innovation and equity, with several global case studies. He emphasized that to successfully digitally transform health systems, we must first value and enable the nurses and health professionals at the heart of them. The President was also was joined by ICN Board Member Dileep Kumar, representing the South East Asia Region, and together they brought brought ICN’s messages to several panel discussions.

Ciudad de León, Mexico - XXV FEMCE International Congress

ICN President Jose Luis Cobos Serrano delivered an powerful, data-driven presentation to Latin American and global nurses at the XXV International Congress of the Mexican Federation of Nursing Colleges (FEMCE). His presentation highlighted how ICN and national nursing associations collaborate to transform health care delivery and establish a clear vision for bringing health worldwide. The President also delivered opening remarks and other speeches highlighting the vital importance of nurses in all global health goals and ICN’s work to support the nursing workforce.

WHO PAHO 77th Regional Committee

ICN was represented by the American Nurses Association at the 62nd Directing Council of the WHO/PAHO Regional Committee for the Americas in Washington, DC. These interventions were on International Health Regulations, the Sustainable Health Agenda midterm report, and Noncommunicable Diseases. Key messages emphasized the vital role of nurses in preparedness and response, the need for direct investment in the nursing workforce, and the importance of safe work environments. We advocated for empowering nurse leadership and ensuring frontline realities shape health policy. The dialogue reinforced collaboration as the path from statements to action across the Americas. Read more here.

ICN calls for urgent investment to support safer care for all children

On World Patient Safety Day 2025, we joined the WHO and global health partners to call for urgent investment in safe, child-centred care for every newborn and young person worldwide. This year’s theme, “Safe care for every newborn and every child,” emphasizes the importance of protecting the right to safe, high-quality health care for children and serves as a vital reminder that unsafe care in early life can have lasting consequences for children and their families. Children are especially vulnerable to the harms of unsafe or missed care due to their developmental stages, unique health needs, and dependence on caregivers, and care must be tailored to their specific needs. Read more here.

#NursesforPeace to support nurses in Gaza and the West Bank

With the support of Direct Relief, ICN and the Palestinian Nursing and Midwifery Association (PNMA) have launched an emergency programme to help provide support to nurses in Gaza and the West Bank, in response to the reports of famine and the high cost of food. This initiative provides direct financial support to over 1,200 nurses. Read more below in the Humanitarian update, and more on the story here.

New WHO report highlights urgency of NCD solutions — but overlooks the vital role of nurses and the health workforce

In advance of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) High-Level Meeting on Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs), the WHO today released an important new report, “Saving lives, spending less: the global investment case for noncommunicable diseases”. We welcomed the report’s urgent focus on preventive measures, but raised concerns about a significant gap: the lack of recognition of nurses and the health workforce as mission-critical to all of these action areas. Read more here.

ICN congratulates Malaysian government and Malaysian Nurses Association following rollback of plans to increase nurses’ working hours

We welcomed the news that the Malaysian government has cancelled a planned extension of working hours from 42 to 45 hours per week for nurses, following strong advocacy by the Malaysian Nurses Association (MNA).  Earlier this year, ICN wrote a letter in support of the MNA, citing research which demonstrates that long working hours contribute to increased medical error rate and decreased quality of care — ultimately endangering patient safety. ICN also publicised these messages through extensive media coverage, including an interview with Free Malaysia Today warning that extra hours could lead to nurse fatigue, which affects quality, effectiveness, and errors. Read more here.

ICN launches Nursing Leadership for Crisis Response and Recovery programme supporting Ukraine’s nurses

We are very proud to have officially launched the pilot version of the Nursing Leadership for Crisis Response and Recovery (NLCRR) programme, the latest in its efforts to promote and support leadership development as critical to building nursing capacity and strengthening workforces. Our new Leadership Centre, rolled out at the Helsinki Congress, June 2025, brings together all of these leadership development initiatives. This first edition of NLCRR is designed for Ukrainian nurses who have been at the forefront of health care delivery throughout the ongoing invasion and war with Russia and it will support 25 nurses working in leadership roles across Ukraine’s health care . Read more here.

UN General Assembly interventions on nursing and global health workforce action

We brought the nursing voice to the UNGA 80 in New York. We are advocating for urgent action to address shortages and strengthen the world’s nursing and health workforce as the only way to achieve the UN’s major health goals, including crucial targets to reduce noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). Our ICN delegation, led by CEO Howard Catton, ensured the world’s 30 million nurses were heard at this vital decision-making forum.

Our core messages at UNGA this year included:

1. NCDs

2. Mental health

3. Equitable nursing workforces and migration

4. The nursing voice is critical on all key UN objectives Goals

Read more about our interventions here. For more information on the key messages ICN brought to UNGA 80, see here

UNGA 80 side event elevated nurse leadership in global health policy

Held in partnership with New York University’s Rory Myers College of Nursing, the our event at UNGA 80 brought a week of impactful nursing advocacy to a powerful close.
The event capped a UNGA week where the presence and impact of nurses were more prominent than ever on the global stage. Titled “Shaping Global Health Policy Through Nursing Leadership: Partnerships and Solutions for a Healthier World”, and sponsored by TruMerit and Johnson & Johnson, the event showcased the strength of collaboration and the power of nursing to advance global health for all. Watch the video from Howard Catton at NYU here.

ICN Webinar: Prioritizing Nurses’ Health and Well-being

On 30 September, we held a webinar welcoming over 600 participants worldwide for a dynamic discussion on how to strengthen support for nurses’ health and wellbeing — a cornerstone for resilient health systems and quality care delivery. Featuring perspectives from government, national nursing associations, and frontline experts, this webinar explored practical strategies, innovative policies, and case studies to improve working conditions, safeguard wellbeing, and ensure the sustainability of the nursing workforce.

Embedding the Definitions in Migration Governance

With nurse migration continuing to shape the global workforce, ICN is embedding the new definitions of nursing and a nurse into the frameworks that govern mobility. The definitions make clear that nurses are regulated professionals with defined roles and responsibilities, not simply units of labour.

A central challenge is to strike the balance between the rights of individual nurses to pursue opportunities abroad and the responsibility of governments to safeguard health system resilience. ICN is working to ensure bilateral agreements and global frameworks reflect this balance, recognising both the professional status of nurses and the needs of communities. By embedding the definitions into migration governance, ICN is helping create fairer and safer pathways that protect nurses’ rights, promote ethical recruitment, and strengthen sustainability in both source and destination countries. This approach ensures mobility contributes to stronger health systems while respecting the dignity and contribution of every nurse.

As closing reflection meetings continue, ODENNA Africa teams have reported that their locally led projects have trained more than 8’300 nurses and midwives. These achievements reflect the real world impact of the initiative, with projects still being delivered and results continuing to flow. While this moment marks the close of a powerful 1st chapter, planning is already underway for the next phase of ODENNA. More details coming soon!

We are excited to welcome 30 scholars from 27 countries to the residential module of GNLI 2025. This intensive week-long programme provides an opportunity for participants to deepen their leadership skills, engage in policy dialogues, and start laying the groundwork for their regional projects. The sessions will be led by GNLI directors Dr Diana Mason and Dr Patsy Yates, with visits from ICN CEO Howard Catton. Highlights of the week include a visit to the WHO, a reception at the ICN offices, and a closing ceremony where scholars will meet UN ambassadors and permanent representatives from their countries. 

Following the official kick-off on 8 September, the programme is now firmly underway, with participants actively engaging in self-study and live sessions. Ukrainian nursing leaders have already joined two online sessions, working through a mass-casualty scenario complicated by an oxygen-supply fault—in the process applying crisis management skills together with ethical leadership principles. Building on this momentum, preparations are progressing for the in-person workshop on 27 – 30 October.  

Humanitarian Work

ICN’s humanitarian team engaged with nursing associations across Mexico, Pakistan, Gaza, Sudan, Panama, Afghanistan, and Somaliland. Key issues included disaster response, education access, mental health, and systemic inequalities. In Gaza, nurses received emergency aid amid famine; in Afghanistan and Pakistan, nurses are supporting displaced and flood-affected communities. Plans for a Sudan Excellency Centre are underway to elevate nursing standards. Panama and Mexico highlighted education and workforce challenges, while Somaliland received vital medical supplies for maternal care. ICN continues to mobilize support through its Humanitarian Fund and #NursesforPeace campaign.