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ICN world Congress concludes on high note

The International Council of Nurses (ICN) Congress, in partnership with Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA), the UAE’s largest healthcare network, and the Emirates Nursing Association, has been successfully concluded.

Under the theme “Nursing Around the World”, the ICN Congress is one of the world’s largest nursing-related events. The event attracted more than 5,000 nurses, delegates, and policymakers from 120 countries.

Virtually hosted from Geneva and the heart of Abu Dhabi, the three-day event had the overarching objective to advance the nursing profession while promoting the wellbeing of nurses. It brought together cohorts of the nursing community from across the globe in a series of live and interactive events, including high profile speakers, continuing education nursing credits, and over 200 hours of interactive learning.

Aysha Al Mahri, President of the Emirates Nursing Association and Group Chief Nursing Officer at SEHA, said, “Since Abu Dhabi was confirmed as the host city for ICN 2021, we have been excited to witness the UAE’s capital take center stage and become a meeting point for the world’s nursing community.

The congress has helped to showcase the wonderful harmonization and collaboration worldwide amongst nurses, in addition to showcasing the UAE’s expertise and innovations in the nursing sector. On behalf of SEHA and Emirates Nursing Association, we convey our sincerest gratitude and appreciation to ICN for placing their trust in the UAE nursing community to co-host one of the most important and largest events in the global healthcare calendar. We are grateful for your continued collaboration, your dedication to advocating for nurses globally and for giving the nursing community a unified voice.”

This year’s edition of ICN Congress featured an extensive scientific program with keynote speeches from global leaders and policy makers, including Ban Ki-Moon, Former UN Secretary-General; Helen Clark, Former Prime Minister of New Zealand and Co-Chair of the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response; Princess Muna Al-Hussein of Jordan, the WHO Patron for Nursing and Midwifery in the Eastern Mediterranean Region; Lauren Underwood, Registered Nurse and United States Congresswoman; and Aysha Al Mahri, President of the Emirates Nursing Association and Group Chief Nursing Officer at SEHA.

Howard Catton, CEO of ICN, said: “Nurses are the backbone of a strong, efficient and effective health sector and serve a crucial role in helping patients throughout their healthcare journey. Through this innovative virtual congress, I believe we have cemented the nurses’ position as global healthcare leaders. The success of the ICN Congress in Geneva and Abu Dhabi was greatly enhanced by the Emirates Nursing Association, SEHA and the UAE as a whole. Together, we have been successful in giving the nursing community a voice and encouraging more citizens to explore nursing as a profession and begin their career in this highly rewarding field.”

Annette Kennedy, outgoing President of ICN, said: “The year’s ICN Congress, hosted in partnership with the Emirates Nursing Association, with the support of SEHA, in Geneva and Abu Dhabi, has showcased the global unity of the nursing community. The pandemic has highlighted the visibility of nurses like never before, underlining how indispensable they are to a patient’s care and recovery. Through many fruitful discussions of the latest research, trends and priorities in nursing, we are able to better assess what the future holds for healthcare in a post-COVID-19 world, enabling us to continue to build a better future by investing in our nurses.”

Throughout the three days, delegates were able to participate in key sessions, such as ‘Creating a Care System for Healthy Ageing’, ‘The Power of Technology to Transform Nursing’, ‘Investing in Nursing’, ‘WHO Global Strategic Directions for Nursing and Midwifery 2021 – 2025’, ‘Mental Health and the Hidden Pandemic’, and many more.

Source: Emirates News Agency