International Council of Nurses
The International Council of Nurses (ICN), the German World Association of Nurses and Nurses , is an amalgamation of over 130 national professional nursing associations based in Geneva. The German care workers are represented there by the German Professional Association for Nursing Professions (DBfK). Austria's representative is the Austrian Health and Nursing Association (ÖGKV), while the nursing staff from Switzerland are represented by the Swiss Professional Association of Nursing Women and Men (SBK).
The ICN represents millions of caregivers worldwide. Officially it has existed since 1899; the first ordinary congress took place in Berlin in July 1904 , at which an English, an Irish and an American group officially merged with Agnes Karll's German professional organization to form an international association.
Main activities
The ICN identifies three critical areas for improving care and health. So-called ICN pillars are professional practice, regulation and socio-economic welfare. The International Classification for Nursing Practice (ICNP®) - a common coding language for care-related data and care diagnoses worldwide, as well as Leadership for Change ™ are further ICN projects that fall under professional practice, while the Leadership in Negotiation project is part of socio-economic welfare.
The ICN maintains networks and connections to national, regional and international care and non-care organizations in order to position care for the present and the future. To this end, he issues guidelines, publications and benchmarking tools, leads conferences and offers educational opportunities.
Definition of the tasks of nursing staff
According to ICN guidelines, the five basic roles of nurses are:
- Promote health
- Prevent illness
- Restore health
- Alleviate suffering
- Respect for life and for human dignity
The 1953 Code contains the following elements (sections)
- Caregivers and their fellow human beings
- Nursing and professional practice
- Nursing and the profession
- Nurses and their colleagues