Strengthening Nursing Associations and Leadership Across Latin America
ODENNA LatAm sits within the ICN Leadership Centre, ICN’s global platform for advancing nursing leadership and strengthening professional organizations.
Through the Leadership Centre, ICN connects global expertise, regional insight, and strength in nursing to support organizations and the leaders who guide them at every stage of their leadership journey.
Delivered under the ODENNA programme of the International Council of Nurses (ICN) and as a flagship initiative of the ICN Leadership Centre, ODENNA LatAm is designed to strengthen nursing associations as organizations while supporting the leaders who guide them.
Through a structured and applied approach, participating associations work on real organizational priorities, strengthening leadership capability, advocacy, and long-term organizational sustainability in ways that reflect their national context.
ODENNA LatAm is designed for National Nursing Associations (NNAs) that are:
Participation is organizational and team-based. Each participating association engages through a core team of leaders and staff who work directly within the NNA and hold operational or decision-making roles. These teams collaborate throughout the programme to strengthen leadership, systems, and long-term sustainability.
ODENNA LatAm is not an individual leadership fellowship and does not accept individual nurse applications.
Across Latin America, National Nursing Associations have a long history of representing the nursing profession and contributing to health systems, education, and policy dialogue. Many associations are deeply committed and experienced, yet face evolving expectations, increasingly complex health priorities, and growing demands on leadership and organizational capacity. ODENNA LatAm is designed to support associations at this stage of development by strengthening foundational systems while enabling leaders to sharpen strategic focus, strengthen governance, and expand professional influence. By investing in both organizational development and leadership growth, ODENNA LatAm supports associations to increase their impact and better serve nurses, midwives, and the communities they support.
ODENNA LatAm is informed by the experience of ODENNA Africa, the inaugural ODENNA regional project, which brought together 23 National Nursing Associations and 92 leaders.
The Africa experience demonstrated the value of:
ODENNA LatAm builds on this foundation while adapting delivery to reflect the linguistic and professional realities of Latin America.
ODENNA LatAm follows a shared ODENNA framework that supports associations to move from insight to action in a structured and practical way.
Through this approach, participating associations:
This framework ensures consistency across ODENNA regions while allowing flexibility for regional and national adaptation.
ODENNA LatAm will be delivered through a hybrid model, combining:
Delivery is designed to be practical, engaging, and responsive to the realities of association leadership, while allowing flexibility in how teams connect, collaborate, and learn throughout the programme.
ODENNA LatAm will integrate organizational-level mentorship through ICN’s Nursing Association Mentorship Initiative (NAMI).
ICN is actively seeking experienced nursing associations interested in serving as mentor organizations, supporting both ODENNA LatAm and Africa participants through peer-based guidance and shared learning.
ODENNA LatAm is supported through continued global sponsorship from the BD Foundation, reflecting their ongoing commitment to strengthening nursing leadership and professional organizations.
ICN is exploring regional sponsorship opportunities for ODENNA LatAm. Regional sponsorship is intended for organizations interested in supporting the delivery of ODENNA LatAm specifically, through financial or in-kind contributions that help extend the programme’s reach and impact across the region.
Regional sponsorship supports:
Inquire about regional sponsorship opportunities for ODENNA LatAm
Organizations seeking to support nursing leadership beyond a single programme may engage through partnership with the ICN Leadership Centre.
Leadership Centre partnerships support a broader portfolio of leadership and organizational development initiatives across ICN, strengthening nursing leadership at scale.
Inquire about partnership opportunities with the ICN Leadership Centre
The International Council of Nurses (ICN) and the BD Foundation, the philanthropic arm of global medical technology company BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company), today announced they are expanding the reach of ICN’s Organizational Development of National Nursing Associations (ODENNA) programme to Latin America in 2026. Through this deepened collaboration, ICN and the BD Foundation aim to strengthen nursing leadership and organizational development in new regions.
18 November 2025
ICN’s Organizational Development of National Nursing Associations (ODENNA) programme is designed to increase the influence, sustainability and advocacy of participating National Nursing Associations (NNAs) to help them meet ever-growing demands.
21 November 2024
ICN’s Organizational Development of National Nurses Associations (ODENNA) programme has awarded its first funding prizes to four participating National Nurses Associations, following intense training and a rigorous competition during May and June 2024.
9 October 2024
ICN has launched the 3rd phase of its Organizational Development of National Nursing Associations program, continuing its 125-year long history of developing nurses’ organizations and the nurses that belong to them.
8 April 2024