Thousands of nurses representing more than 100 countries are gathering this week to share knowledge and discuss the biggest issues facing the profession across the world.
The 2025 International Council of Nurses (ICN) Congress starts today in Helsinki, Finland, and Nursing Times is the exclusive media partner for the Northern Hemisphere. Our reporter Edd Church is there to cover the big stories.
“It’s now time to act and invest in nursing to meet the world’s challenges across health care”
Howard Catton
Held once every two years, ICN Congress acts as a forum for representatives of national nursing associations from member states, as well as other nurses from all over the world.
This year’s conference is set to host discussions on a wide range of topics relating to nursing.
These include the emergence of artificial intelligence in healthcare, attacks on healthcare workers in conflict and humanitarian disaster zones, climate change, new nursing roles, nurse education and many others.
As well as this, the ICN is due to launch a new report on the definition of “nurse” and “nursing”.
The conference is due to host high-profile speakers and guests, including World Health Organization (WHO) chief nursing officer Dr Amelia Latu Afuhaamango Tuipulotu; Helen Clark, a former prime minister and health minister of New Zealand; and Princess Muna Al-Hussein of Jordan, founder of the Princess Muna College of Nursing and Allied Health Professions.
Ahead of congress formally opening this evening, members of the ICN Council of National Nursing Associations (CNR) met and voted on a series of resolutions that will form a position statement, called the Helsinki Communiqué.
This document, which will be finalised later today, calls for actions including “fair wages and decent working conditions” for all nursing staff, investment in nursing, tighter rules on international recruitment, and for states to adhere to international law to prevent attacks on healthcare workers in conflict zones.
ICN Congress this week comes shortly after the publication of the second State of the World’s Nursing report, which was released by the WHO in conjunction with the ICN last month.
This report, a successor to the first one from 2020, made findings and recommendations on many of the topics due to be discussed by nurses at ICN’s event this week, and touched on by the Helsinki Communiqué.
Speaking ahead of the opening of congress, ICN chief executive Howard Catton said: “Let’s be clear – nursing has the power: the power to care, to heal, to save lives.
“The power to drive economies, and, as our congress theme states, the power to change the world.”
He added: “‘Our message to politicians and policymakers is that it’s now time to act and invest in nursing to meet the world’s challenges across healthcare, the climate crisis and conflict zones, where ICN has stepped up its activity through its Nurses for Peace humanitarian work.”
