International Council of Nurses facts for kids
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| Founded | 1899 |
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| Headquarters | Geneva, Switzerland |
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Members
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135 |
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Key people
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Dr Pamela Cipriano, President |
| Website | www.icn.ch |
The International Council of Nurses (ICN) is a big group of over 130 national nursing organizations. It started in 1899. It was the first worldwide group for health workers. Its main office is in Geneva, Switzerland.
The ICN helps nursing groups from different countries work together. It aims to improve how nurses are seen and how nursing is done around the world. It also helps shape health rules in countries and globally.
Only one nursing group from each country can join the ICN. This is usually the main national nurses' association. Examples include the American Nurses Association or the Nursing Association of Nepal. In 2001, the ICN allowed its members to work with other local nursing groups. However, not many members have used these new ways of working together.
Contents
How the ICN Started and Works
The idea for the ICN came up in 1899. This was at a meeting of the International Council of Women. Ethel Bedford Fenwick suggested it during a discussion about nursing.
The main goal was to connect nursing groups from different countries. This would help make nurse training better. It would also improve the rules for nurses to help the public.
A first committee was formed. It had nurses from Great Britain, the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, the Netherlands, and Denmark. The first rules and leaders were chosen in 1900. Mrs. Bedford Fenwick from Great Britain became president. Miss Lavinia Dock from the United States was honorary treasurer. Miss M. Agnes Snively from Canada was also an honorary treasurer.
In 1901, the ICN agreed that nurses should be officially registered. The first big meeting of the ICN was in 1904 in Berlin. By then, nursing groups from Great Britain, the United States, and Germany had joined the ICN.
Other meetings were held in Paris (1907) and Geneva (1927). There was also a big ICN meeting in London in 1937. Later meetings took place in Atlantic City in 1947 and Rome in 1957.
Daisy Bridges was a top leader for the ICN. She was the General Secretary until 1961. She later wrote a book about the ICN's history. It covered the years from 1899 to 1964.
How the ICN is Managed
The ICN is run by a group called the Council of National Representatives (CNR). The CNR makes the main decisions for the ICN. It decides on rules, lets new members join, and chooses a board of directors.
As of 2013, there were 135 National Representatives. Each member country's nursing group chooses its representative. The CNR meets every two years.
Between these big meetings, a board of 16 directors manages the ICN. This board includes the ICN president and 13 directors. These directors are chosen from the ICN's seven different regions. Directors can serve two terms, each lasting four years. The board meets at least once a year, often more.
The ICN has four main officers. These are a president and three vice presidents. These officers act as a small executive group for the board. They also handle the budget and money matters. The CNR chooses the president. The president serves one four-year term. The vice presidents are chosen from the board members. The person with the most votes becomes the First Vice President.
A Chief Executive Officer (CEO) manages the daily work of the ICN. The CEO works closely with the ICN President.
ICN Meetings and Projects
The ICN holds a big meeting called a Congress every two years. This happens at the same time as the CNR meeting. The Congress has many workshops for nurses. There are also poster displays, lunches, and speeches.
The ICN also hosts other meetings when needed. Recent meetings have discussed rules for nurses. They have also covered topics like nurses' well-being and leadership.
The ICN helps organize International Nurses' Day. This special day is on May 12 each year. It is the birthday of Florence Nightingale, a famous nurse.
The official magazine of the ICN is the International Nursing Review (INR). This is a respected science magazine. It is read in about 135 countries. It has been published since 1953.
The INR focuses on nursing rules and health policies. It is published online and in print four times a year in English. It is also translated into Spanish and Chinese. In 2016, the INR was added to the Nursing Journal Hall of Fame.
Past Presidents of ICN
The country each president represented is in brackets.
- 1899 - 1904 Ethel Bedford Fenwick (UK)
- 1904 - 1909 Susan McGahey (Australia)
- 1909 - 1912 Agnes Karll (Germany)
- 1912 - 1915 Annie Warburton Goodrich (USA)
- 1915 - 1922 Henny Tscherning (Denmark)
- 1922 - 1925 Sophie Mannerheim (Finland)
- 1925 - 1929 Nina Gage (China)
- 1929 - 1933 Leonie Chaptal (France)
- 1933 - 1937 Alicia Still (UK)
- 1937 - 1947 Effie J. Taylor (USA)
- 1947 - 1953 Gerda Höjer (Sweden)
- 1953 - 1957 Marie Bihet (Belgium)
- 1957 - 1961 Agnes Ohlson (USA)
- 1961 - 1965 Alice Clamageran (France)
- 1965 - 1969 Alice Girard (Canada)
- 1969 - 1973 Margarethe Kruse (Denmark)
- 1973 - 1977 Dorothy Cornelius (USA)
- 1977 - 1981 Olive Anstey (Australia)
- 1981 - 1985 Eunice Muringo Kiereini (Kenya)
- 1985 - 1989 Nelly Garzón Alarcón (Colombia)
- 1989 - 1993 Mo-Im Kim (South Korea)
- 1993 - 1997 Margretta Styles (USA)
- 1997 - 2001 Kirsten Stallknecht (Denmark)
- 2001 - 2005 Christine Hancock (UK)
- 2005 - 2009 Hiroko Minami (Japan)
- 2009 - 2013 Rosemary Bryant (Australia)
- 2013 - 2017 Judith Shamian (Canada)
- 2017 - 2021 Annette Kennedy (Ireland)
See also
In Spanish: Consejo Internacional de Enfermeras para niños
- List of nursing organizations
