Global Nursing Leadership Institute™ launches 2021 virtual programme

The International Council of Nurses (ICN) kicked off Module One of its innovative and acclaimed Global Nursing Leadership Institute (GNLI)™ yesterday with a two-hour session and a virtual meet and greet. With 30 scholars from 19 countries from all regions, GNLI 2021, will explore key themes that underpin the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals with an emphasis on health disparities and the COVID-19 pandemic. Supported by The Burdett Trust for Nursing, GNLI 2021 will explore ways to support the new WHO Global Strategic Directions for Nursing and Midwifery 2021-2025.

Over the next few days, participants will meet in regional groups to begin the programme’s work to strengthen nurses’ political and policy understanding and influence, and prepare scholars to participate in local, regional, national and global policy discussions and actions. Regional Leads from the World Health Organization’s Regional Offices will join scholars in their region to discuss the office's priorities, building an important bridge between nurse leaders and WHO Regional Offices. Scholars will develop regional projects that will align with these priorities.

Howard Catton, ICN Chief Executive Officer, greeted participants, saying:

“You are undertaking this programme at an incredibly challenging time, the world continues to respond to Coronavirus, but it is also starting to think about how it pivots and recovers from the global pandemic. This is also a time where we see other frailties around the world: natural disasters and enormous political unrest and upheaval in many countries. In the course of the next few months, you will see developments in policy, advocacy, campaigning and international events which will be critical in determining how the world will respond to future pandemics. You will see global policy in action; you will have the opportunity to discuss and debate the issues, the challenges, the options; and you will see the importance of the values on which leadership is based and the decisions that leaders take. I have no doubt that, for very many reasons, this is the time for nursing leadership. The values on which our profession is based are critical to underpinning some of the big health policy and political health calls that need to be taken over the coming months.”

Diana Mason, GNLI Programme Director, said:

“GNLI is an exceptional opportunity for nurse leaders to refine their policy and global leadership skills. We moved the programme online because of the pandemic in 2020 and it proved to be a rich experience for scholars to engage more deeply in their WHO regions.

‘The new cohort of GNLI 2021 scholars is a magnificent group of nurse leaders from every region. This is a wonderful opportunity for sharing expertise and learning in a creative and safe space. Many scholars are already global leaders and GNLI 2021 will strengthen their global reach and policy leadership. When finished, they will join a formidable network of GNLI alumnae who are national, regional and global leaders in health care and health policy."

Senior nurse leaders everywhere need high-level professional, political and policy leadership skills to 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.

GNLI, an extremely competitive strategic leadership programme, develops nurse leaders so they can make distinctive and strategic contributions to shaping, influencing and implementing policy decisions, wherever they work.

Module Two of the programme will be held from January to March 2022 and will provide the intensive, interactive learning experiences that are the core of GNLI. Module Three will be held March-June 2022. Click here for more information on the GNLI programme.

Download the press release here