An Urgent Call: Prioritizing Nursing Education Globally for Peace, Equity, Sustainability, and Prosperity

In the preamble to the 1946 World Health Organization (WHO) constitution, it is stated that “the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being without distinction of race, religion, political belief, economic or social condition.” Guided by this proclamation, health equity is the North Star for health care professionals. As nurses, we strive for all people to have the opportunity to live their healthiest lives possible. With health equity inextricably tied to our most complex challenges and existential threats, educating a global, practice-ready workforce is essential to driving progress toward our North Star. Nursing education is fundamental to health, sustainability, equity, peace, and prosperity for all people and for the planet, now and into the future (United Nations, 2015). Given the urgent, worldwide need to prioritize the education of nurses to meet the challenges that lay ahead, the National League for Nursing (NLN) and the International Council of Nurses (ICN) have formed the ICN Education Experts Advisory Committee (ICNEE). The ICNEE is part of the ICN and, in partnership with the NLN, is housed within the NLN Institute for Diversity and Global Initiatives. For the next three years, I will serve as ICNEE’s inaugural chair of a committee of 14 members representing the six WHO regions (Africa: Lydia Aziato, Ghana/Madeleine Mukeshimana, Rwanda; Americas: Erna Snelgrove-Clarke, Canada/Josefa Vásquez Cevallos, Peru; Eastern Mediterranean: Nuhad Dumit, Lebanon/Salem Al-Touby, Oman; Europe: Cristina García Vivar, Spain/Christophe Debout, France; Southeast Asia: Sami Lama, Nepal/Suresh K. Sharma, India; Westen Pacific: Noriko Yamamoto, Japan/Ann Bonner, Australia). There are two at-large participants, NLN Chair Dr. Patricia Sharpnack and Dr. Nanthaphan Chinlumprasert of the ICN. In addition, ICN Deputy Chief Nursing Officer David Stewart is ICN nursing liaison, and Agustina Soto Acebal provides ICN secretariat support. The ICN mission is to represent nursing worldwide, advance the nursing profession, promote the well-being of nurses, and advocate for health in all policies (ICN, n.d.-a). The NLN mission is to promote excellence in nursing education to build a strong and diverse nursing workforce to advance the health of our nation and the global community. In accordance with both missions, the ICNEE aims to address: 1) the role of nurse educators worldwide, 2) the quality of nursing education, 3) opportunities and challenges for nursing education and clinical practice, 4) the impact of international nursing and nursing faculty shortages on preparation of nurses, 5) global issues affecting the health of all (e.g., climate, workforce shortages, advancing technology, artificial intelligence, diversity and inclusion, health equity) as they relate to education, and 6) nurse educator development and well-being. The ICNEE meets virtually three times a year and in-person every two years in conjunction with the ICN Congress. For the first virtual meeting in April 2024, ICN CEO Howard Catton and NLN President and CEO Dr. Beverly Malone provided an overview of the commitment of both organizations toward our important work. David Stewart then presented key data from three global reports: State of the World’s Nursing 2020 (WHO, 2020); Global Strategic Directions for Nursing and Midwifery, 2021–2025 (WHO, 2021); and Nursing Personnel Convention, 1977 (International Labour Organization, 1977). Strategic priorities from these reports framed our discussions about how we can contribute to updated editions. At our second meeting, held in July, we discussed our goals for the 2025 ICN Congress in Helsinki, Finland, where we will engage with attendees about nursing education priorities. The responses and recommendations we receive will be disseminated worldwide and help contribute to policy positions for nursing education, the ICN, and the NLN. More than 70 years after the adoption of the WHO constitution, the United Nations adopted 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) under the overarching principle of leaving no person behind (Marmot & Bell, 2018; United Nations, 2015). Health equity reverberates as an outcome of the SDGs because success in these areas will result in environmental and economic benefits as well as equity benefits. We know, however, that if needed investments in the nursing profession are not made, starting with education and the development and well-being of educators, we will not succeed in advancing the overall health of individuals, families, communities, the global population, and the planet (ICN, n.d.-b).

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