July 2025: International Council of Nurses Congress

Last month, Anita travelled to Helsinki, Finland for the International Council of Nurses 2025 Congress. The International Council of Nurses is a federation of over 140 national nurses associations, representing the 30+ million nurses worldwide. ICN was founded in 1899 and is the world’s first and widest reaching international organization for health professionals.

Anita became a Certified Global Nurse Consultant (CGNC) through the ICN in 2023 and was delighted to present her research at this 2025 Congress with her co-author and our NHTH partner in Iraq, Eva Said, PhD Candidate, RN, MSN, CGNC. 

Their research focuses on nursing policy development in post-conflict Iraq: "Nursing plays a crucial role in post-conflict recovery. Well-defined, evidence-based nursing policy creates a unique opportunity for nurses to contribute to the restoration of high-quality healthcare." Currently, nursing policy in Iraq is minimal with no adequate nursing legislation, regulation, or licensing. There is an urgent need to fill these gaps through innovative interventions.

"Eva and I were honored to present at the International Council of Nurses (ICN) Congress in Helsinki in June. As I walked into the auditorium for the Opening Ceremony, I literally gasped as I looked up and saw what I learned was 7,000 nurses representing over 140 different countries. I had a similar gut-response when I saw the Grand Canyon for the first time—an experience so incredible, powerful, and moving that I will never forget it.

"There were nurses in attendance at ICN who serve in similar capacities as those of us in the US, with access to preventive strategies, lifesaving medications and treatments, and facilities with adequate supplies and expertise. Other attendees are working each day in countries or areas that are currently at war, in post-conflict areas, or in low-income countries. These are the nurses that we, Nurses Heart to Heart, are called to serve and support. To see this global community of nurses gathered together in one place was a humbling experience for me. And what a gift to get a sense of the 'bigger picture' of nursing."

Click here to read the full original post and see the many, many photos!