ICN elects new president to lead organisation
The International Council of Nurses (ICN) has elected its next president to lead the organisation for the next four years.
Dr José Luis Cobos Serrano was chosen as the ICN’s 30th president by its Council of National Nursing Association Representatives earlier this month.
Related Article: NHS CHC funding: How can nurses better advocate for patients?
Dr Cobos Serrano was appointed deputy secretary general of the Spanish General Council of Nursing in 2019 and has been the organisation’s vice president since 2021.
His selection was announced during the closing ceremony of ICN Congress in Helsinki last week.
During his acceptance speech, which was spoken in English, French and Spanish, Dr Cobos Serrano focused on nurse ‘empowerment’ as one of his key priorities for his role.
‘My watchword word is empowerment, because we are more than 30 million nurses worldwide, we are the largest group of healthcare professionals, and yet, we are often not recognised for all that we contribute,’ he said.
Related Article: Nurses should ‘lead’ neighbourhood health services, suggests Streeting
He cautioned that he did not plan to ‘change the ICN’, but to continue the work of the outgoing president Dr Pamela Cipriano and her team.
Reflecting on her time in post Dr Cipriano said: ‘I have marvelled at the undaunted courage of nurses around the world – the dedication and creativity is unparalleled. The solidarity and caring for humankind has no limits.’
Related Article: ‘Record’ NHS investment unveiled in government spending review
The ICN launched a new definition of ‘nurse’ and ‘nursing’ at this year’s congress, hoping to better describe the profession’s scope and contribution to global health.
See how our symptom tool can help you make better sense of patient presentations
Click here to search a symptom
