A new unifying global definition of nursing has been published. The International Council of Nursing (ICN) published its new definitions of ‘nurse’ and ‘nursing’ today following discussions with, and consensus from, nursing leaders across the world. “The previous definitions were slightly out of step with where we needed to be” David Stewart The ICN’s Council of Nursing Association Representatives (CNR) voted unanimously to approve them, during a meeting held ahead of the organisation’s 2025 congress, taking place in Helsinki, Finland this week. The revised definition of a nurse replaces the ICN’s previous one, which was last published in 1987. It…
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Scotland has taken a major step toward reforming its social care system, as the Scottish Parliament approved new legislation aimed at strengthening care support—particularly for unpaid carers and individuals in residential care—after previously proposed plans for a National Care Service were dropped. The newly titled Care Reform (Scotland) Bill was passed at Holyrood this week with cross-party support, bringing to an end months of debate and adjustment. While the original proposal had envisaged sweeping reforms that would have shifted the responsibility for delivering social care directly to the Scottish Government, those plans were ultimately scaled back following significant opposition from…
Senior nurse academics have argued that nursing should be seen as a “hardcore” science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) profession. At the 2025 International Council of Nurses (ICN) Congress, Professor Janelle Yorke, head of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University School of Nursing, and Dr Tracie Risling, associate dean for innovation at the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Nursing, addressed attendees on the topic of digitisation and technology. “We have some lack of professional confidence when talking about who we are and what we do” Janelle Yorke Professor Yorke spoke about the opportunities, advantages and potential threats of new technology such…
On Tuesday, Brightspring Health Services (NASDAQ: BTSG) was an investment company KKR&Co, which is its majority shareholder. (NYSE: KKR) announced that it plans to sell 14 million shares of Brightspring through a secondary supply and plans to sell up to 2.1 million shares. According to publicly published documents, KKR owns approximately 93 million bright shares, accounting for 54.2% of the company's outstanding shares. Based in Louisville, Kentucky, Brightspring offers home and community-based services, including home care, home health, home health, home health and home primary care for a complex population. Works in all 50 states. The company was released in…
Enhabit (NYSE: EHAB) aims to become a home health provider to improve negotiations with plans and build relationships with referrals, but the path to this goal took longer than the company leaders originally envisaged. To achieve more referral partners and increase the amount of patients, Barb Jacobsmeyer, president and CEO of Enhabit, is about to become a “full-service” provider. Payer innovation was the “most important part” of Enhabit's strategy, which is recognized as a full-service provider, but it was a longer process than Jacobsmeyer had anticipated. “This January 1st was our first time truly doing full service,” Jacobsmeyer said at…
Nurses must be involved in pandemic preparedness in all countries across the world, a global nursing conference has heard. Helen Clark, former New Zealand prime minister and former co-chair of the World Health Organization (WHO) Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response, and International Council of Nurses (ICN) president Dr Pamela Cipriano, discussed the topic at ICN Congress 2025. “Had nurses been consulted at the early stages [of the pandemic]… the outcomes could have been very different” Helen Clark The event is taking place this week in Helsinki, Finland and is hosting more than 7,000 nursing representatives from more than…
A nursing academic is embarking on a campaign to improve funding for trainee nursing associates studying full-time at university. Currently, the majority of nursing associates-in-training are apprentices, and therefore receive a wage from their employer. “They’re not included, they’re not valued” Christopher O’Sullivan However, this does not apply to all of them. Registered nurse Christopher O’Sullivan is the deputy programme lead for a direct entry nursing associate degree course at Manchester Metropolitan University. Those who undertake this course are full-time students for its two-year duration, and at the end obtain a foundation degree-level qualification – an FdSC in Health and…
A senior nurse representing the UK at an international nursing event has said she feels “ashamed” of the role the country has played in the exploitation of internationally educated nurses in recent years. Professor Nicola Ranger, chief executive and general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), made the comment at the 2025 International Council of Nurses (ICN) Congress, being held in Helsinki, Finland this week. “We’ve had direct examples of shocking exploitation of some of our international nurses” Nicola Ranger Speaking at the Council of Nursing Associations (CNR), a forum for ICN member countries to discuss and vote on…
The Independent Care Group (ICG) has urged the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, to seize a once-in-a-generation opportunity to properly transform social care and not leave it at the bottom of the pile in the upcoming spending review. With the Government promising to deliver growth and cut NHS waiting lists, the ICG says that neither will be possible without bold and sustained investment in the country’s struggling social care sector. Mike Padgham, Chair of the Independent Care Group, said: “We urge the Chancellor: do not forget social care. For decades, we’ve been left on the sidelines, underfunded, undervalued and overlooked. But this…
Now is the time to properly embed preceptorship as a core and essential offer for all newly registered nurses and midwives, researchers have said. The Florence Nightingale Foundation (FNF) has urged the government and NHS England to use this “pivotal moment” to address the remaining gaps in support for early career nurses and midwives. “There is a fundamental misunderstanding of the preceptor role” Survey respondent Its call comes as part of a new “pulse check” on preceptorship, published today and seen early by Nursing Times. The nursing charity has surveyed 870 nursing and midwifery students, early career registrants, preceptors and…