12 May 2026 | Happy International Nurses Day!

As the world marks International Nurses Day, the International Council of Nurses (ICN) is calling for urgent investment in nursing, supported by a major new global report, Our Nurses. Our Future. Empowered Nurses Save Lives, that presents seven key nursing powers. 

ICN’s report presents strong evidence for the measurable and transformative power of nursing. With nearly 30 million nurses worldwide, the profession is the largest and most trusted health workforce, uniquely positioned to deliver preventive, person-centred, and community-based care. The data shows that when nurses are enabled to work to their full potential, they save lives, improve health outcomes, expand access to care, and strengthen health systems and economies. 

ICN President José Luis Cobos Serrano said: 
“Empowering the world’s nurses is the surest way to meet today's health challenges and bring care to all people. True empowerment is structural. It means leaders making the deliberate choice to invest in the safe, fair working conditions and policies that allow nursing to deliver at its highest impact, consistently and at scale. 

This International Nurses Day, the world’s nurses are naming and owning their power and the extraordinary impact they deliver. We call on every government to invest for impact and to structurally empower all nurses, which must include enabling nurse leadership and decision-making.” 

The report comes at a critical moment. The world faces a shortage of 5.8 million nurses, alongside rising health needs, growing inequalities, and increasing pressure from conflict and climate-related crises. Without urgent action, progress towards Universal Health Coverage and the Sustainable Development Goals will remain out of reach. 

The multidimensional picture of nursing power 

Drawing on global data, real-world examples, and ICN policy work, the report introduces a new framework to understand the full contribution of nursing through seven core powers: 

• The Power of Trust 
• The Power of the Professional 
• The Power of Numbers 
• The Power of Practice 
• The Power of Care 
• The Power of Proximity 
• The Power of Peace 

These powers show that nursing is not a single function but a multidimensional force delivering measurable impact across a range of health, equity, and economic outcomes. Closing nursing and health workforce gaps could save 189 million years of life and add USD 1.1 trillion to the global economy, while scaling primary care, where nurses are central, could save 60 million lives by 2030 (1, 2). Key data points supporting each power — and the economic power of care — are available in the report. 

ICN Chief Executive Officer Howard Catton said: 
 
“For too long, we have seen a one-dimensional image of nursing that not reflect the enormous impact of this profession. This report presents a new model that brings together the full spectrum of nursing powers with the data that supports them and the substantial body of ICN’s work behind them. 

It shows clearly that nursing is multidimensional, evidence-based, and changing and saving lives all across the world. The data shows clearly that investing in nursing is not a cost: it is one of the highest return investments any health system can make. The evidence is there and the time to act is now.” 

ICN is calling on governments to translate commitments into action through funded national workforce plans, improved working conditions, investment in education, expanded scope of practice, and stronger nursing leadership. 

This International Nurses Day sends a clear message: empowered nurses save lives, and investing in nursing is essential to building healthier, more resilient, and more equitable societies.