Global Nursing Leadership Institute 2022 welcomes new class of senior nurse leaders

Today 31 senior nurse leaders from Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe and the Western Pacific were welcomed by leaders of the International Council of Nurses (ICN) and faculty of the ICN’s Global Nursing Leadership Institute (GNLI)™ as they began the GNLI 2022 programme.

A strategic policy leadership programme focused on strengthening the political and policy understanding and influence of nursing leaders across the globe, GNLI 2022 kicked off today with a virtual session introducing the scholars to each other and to the expert international faculty.

Welcoming the 2022 cohort of GNLI scholars, Dr Pamela Cipriano, ICN President, said,

“Congratulations in taking this important step in your leadership development journey. It is an unparalleled opportunity to strengthen your knowledge and skills for influencing policy at all levels. You will be exposed to outstanding faculty, high level world leaders and collaborators who share your passion for improving local, regional, national and global health policy. You will also be joining an elite group of graduates around the world who are making a difference.

My Presidency watchword is ‘Influence’ and my goal is to strengthen ICN and nursing’s ability to influence health policy so that nurses and nursing are recognised, supported and receive ample investment in order to lead and deliver health for all. We are addressing many pressing issues such as eliminating health disparities, promoting gender equality and securing greater investments and protection for the nursing workforce. I look forward to the advances that you will make to help us strengthen nursing and secure global health into the near future. Have a great experience.”

Howard Catton, ICN’s Chief Executive Officer, added his congratulations to the elite group who have been selected to join GNLI 2022, saying:

“This is an incredible moment of both challenge and opportunity for us, as nurses, around the world. The challenges are clear to see. We are trying to move out of a pandemic, we see war in parts of the world, climate change, the impact of humanitarian crises. But those challenges have brought to the forefront the importance of global health, for all of us, whichever part of the world we live and work in and the centrality of nursing practice and nursing leadership.

This will be a personal and a professional journey for you all. It will also be a time for development and change and I would encourage all of you to be bold, to be courageous. If you want to make a change to health, to nursing, to the profession, this course and the next few months are going to help you deliver on that: to change health, to change nursing, to change yourself. Grab that opportunity, colleagues!”

Facilitated by an expert international faculty in cooperation with the World Health Organization’s Regional Offices, the GNLI is directed by Dr Diana Mason, the Senior Policy Service Professor for the Center for Health Policy and Media Engagement at George Washington University School of Nursing; and Professor Emerita and Co-Director of the Center for Health, Media, and Policy at Hunter College, City University of New York.

This year, faculty members include Dr Patsy Yates as Associate Director as well regional facilitators: Dr Karen Bjoro (EURO region and ICN Second Vice President); Edna Tallam-Kimaiyo (African region), Angele Wallerlei (Americas region); Eva Said (Eastern Mediterranean region); Dr Sarvjeet Kaur (Southeast Asia region); and Cat Schofield (Western Pacific region).

Leadership is one of the policy foci of the Global Strategic Directions for Nursing and Midwifery 2021-2025, and the GNLI helps to develop high-level professional, political and policy leadership skills so that senior nurse leaders can operate effectively in challenging policy arenas. Policy and politics determine the health of populations and the state of the nursing profession - present and future. This has become clear during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has shone a light on health disparities and on nurses on the frontlines of care in their nations’ responses to the spread of COVID-19. It is even more essential that nurses help their nations to prepare for future challenges.

Nurse leaders must know how to make distinctive and strategic contributions to shaping, influencing and implementing policy decisions, wherever they work - in government, management, education, advanced practice, research or development, or for a professional association, trade union or nongovernmental organisation.

ICN has been a pioneer in leadership, management and negotiation skill development for nurses for more than 20 years. Additional information about the GNLI is available on the ICN website here.

Download the communique here