Online discussion shows nurses’ enthusiasm to support the development of the State of the World’s Nursing report to drive investment in the profession.
On Tuesday, more than 400 people from around the world took part in a webinar co-hosted by the International Council of Nurses (ICN), Nursing Now and the World Health Organization (WHO) to address share information and answer questions about the development of the State of the World’s Nursing report, due to be published in April 2020.
The report will include data about nursing in countries around the world, and will provide a snapshot of the global state of the nursing workforce. This report will be used to promote investment in nursing and influence policy-making decisions on healthcare for years to come.
With the deadline for data submission rapidly approaching (30/09), this webinar provided much-needed information for nurses and health-stakeholders around the world, including the process for reporting and validating data. ICN Chief Executive Officer Howard Catton, said the report would be a vital resource on the global nursing workforce for nurses and policy-makers for the next decade and beyond.
During the webinar Mr Catton said:
‘We have not had a global WHO State of the World’s Nursing report before, and the commitment of WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to produce this report speaks volumes about his recognition and commitment to the nursing profession.
‘The report will influence global and political discussions about health. It will be a seminal report that can inform the policy and political discussions in countries about how we approach key global challenges, not just next year, but beyond as well.
‘It will be part of the legacy of the 2020 Year of the Nurse and Midwife: we want it to be dynamic, to be used in countries for policy development to strengthen health systems. It will enable all of us to position nursing at the centre of those discussions.’
The webinar was co-facilitated by Baroness Mary Watkins, member of the UK House of Lords and Co-chair of the Nursing Now campaign; Carey McCarthy, WHO Technical Officer who gave a thorough overview of the goals of the report; Semakaleng Phafoli, Jhpiego Senior Technical Advisor, and Kathryn Irwin, Nursing Now Director of Communications.
Baroness Watkins urged people everywhere to champion the State of the World’s Nursing Report, stating: ‘We need to know what nurses are doing and to demonstrate the value of nursing across the world so your voice counts. Engage with your governments and employers to ensure that the most accurate information is reported in your country so that we have a solid basis on which to influence and shape the future of health-care.’
You can find the presentations made during the webinar, here.
