The 29th ICN Congress was held in Montreal, Canada from 1-5 July 2023. The theme of the Congress was Nurses together: a force for global health.
The Congress brought together more than 6000 nurses from around the world to learn, share, and network. A number of presentations and workshops on a wide range of topics were made, including:
- Nursing leadership
- Nursing education
- Nursing research
- Nursing practice
- Nursing advocacy
- Nursing and global health
The Congress also featured a number of keynote speakers, including:
Dr. Pamela Cipriano, President of the International Council of Nurses, Mr. Howard Catton, Chief Executive Officer of the International Council of Nurses, Simon Sinek, author of Start with Why, Dr. Margaret Chan, former Director-General of the World Health Organization, Justin Trudeau, Canadian Prime Minister to mention but a few.
This year’s congress is particularly significant for Africa, a number of African nurses and nursing leaders participated in the congress, they included keynote speakers, presenters, and delegates.
While officially opening the ICN Africa Regional Session, Mr. Andre Gitembagara RNMU President and ICN Board member representing Africa, thanked nurses for their hard work, always being at the front line of health care provision. He pointed out that Africa is a continent with diversity and rich culture.
Gitembagara called upon participants at the congress to be catalysts for change, noting that Africa has for long been a source for skilled professionals, nurses have a unique blend of expertise and passion.
One of the keynote speakers was Professor Mukeshimana Madeleine, a senior lecturer at the University of Rwanda who spoke about Gender Equity and Nursing workforce and Redefining Nursing into the future”.
Judith Aluora of the Ministry of Health Kenya spoke about the importance of workforce planning, Mowafay Hassan Hashim, President of Sudan Nurses Organisation spoke about the war and how they provide courses on how to adapt to conflict while Professor Lydia Aziato, Vice Chancellor of the University of Health and Allied Science HO Ghana and first professor of nursing in Ghana spoke about how colonialism influenced nursing education to be clinically oriented rather than research based.
In addition to the keynote speakers, there are a number of African nurses who were present at the congress. The presentations covered a wide range of topics, including nursing education, nursing leadership, and nursing research.
The congress is also providing a platform for African nurses to network with each other and with nurses from other parts of the world. This networking is essential for sharing ideas and best practices and for building relationships that can help to improve healthcare in Africa.
The ICN Congress was a major opportunity for nurses from Africa and Rwanda in particular to raise their voices and to advocate for better healthcare for their patients. The congress was also an opportunity for African nurses to learn from their peers from around the world and to build the skills and knowledge they need to make a difference in their communities.
All in all, the Congress was a great success, and it helped to unite nurses from around the world in their commitment to improving global health.
Some of the key milestones from Congress 2023:
- The Congress launched the ICN’s new visual identity and logo.
- The Congress closed with an inspiring ceremony and the handover of the baton to the Finnish Nurses Association, who will hold the 2025 Congress in Helsinki.
- The Student Assembly at the Congress addressed the most pressing issues facing nursing and global healthcare.
The ICN Congress 2023 was a landmark event for the nursing profession. It helped to highlight the importance of nurses as a force for global health, and it provided a platform for nurses to share their knowledge and experiences. The Congress also helped to set the agenda for the future of nursing, and it will be remembered as a time when nurses came together to make a difference
