Have you heard of the Nursing Now campaign? It is a 3-year collaborative effort by the International Council of Nursing and the World Health Organization to raise the status and profile of nurses around the world. The campaign will run 2018-2020 and will focus on: improving education and professional development of nurses worldwide; getting the word out about innovative and effective nursing practice so these ideas can be disseminated; more participation by nurses in health policy development; more nurses entering leadership positions; and research on the global impact of nursing.
The project is led by a Campaign Board of nurses and interested parties from 16 countries.
The following is the vision of Nursing Now (2018a):
* Nursing Now aims to improve health globally by raising the profile and status of nurses worldwide-influencing policy makers and supporting nurses themselves to lead, learn, and build a global movement.
* The changing needs of the 21st Century mean nurses have an even greater role to play in the future. New and innovative types of services are needed-more community and home-based, more holistic and people-centered, with increased focus on prevention and making better use of technology. These are all areas where nurses can play a leading role. However, maximizing nurses' contributions will require that they are properly deployed, valued, and included in policy and decision-making.
* Nursing Now will work with partners around the world to advocate for more nurses in leadership positions-to help nurses achieve the influence they deserve. It will also help nurses access better education and training, while supporting them to share research and evidence of effective practice.
* Nursing Now will encourage health leaders to invest in nursing and introduce new models of care that maximize nurses' contributions to achieving Universal Health Coverage which would guarantee everyone the right to quality healthcare without financial hardship.
Why is Nursing Now needed? As you know from your own work in home healthcare, the population is aging. Thanks to new and more effective therapies, people with chronic diseases are living longer. In developing countries, infectious diseases such as malaria and HIV/AIDS have drained struggling health systems. These factors have placed burdens on healthcare systems around the world at a time when there is a global shortage of healthcare workers. There is great potential for nurses to have additional influence on healthcare through policy development, but we haven't always been included in decision-making. As the healthcare professionals closest to patients, we should be an integral part of disease prevention and wellness. We need to maximize our impact through advanced education and by increasing our numbers worldwide. Nine million nurses and midwives are needed by the year 2030 (Nursing Now, 2018a).
What can you do to get involved? First sign up for their newsletters (Nursing Now, 2018b). Add your signature to pledge your support at http://www.nursingnow.org/join-the-campaign/. Follow Nursing Now on Facebook or Twitter. Finally start your own Nursing Now group as nurses have done in 40 countries (Nursing Now, 2018c)
There are case studies from countries around the world on the Nursing Now website that exemplify the contributions nurses are making as a result of this initiative. You will be particularly interested in a program in the United States for home care for low-income seniors. Community Aging in Place, Advancing Better Living for Elders (CAPABLE) was developed by nurses at Johns Hopkins (Nursing Now, 2018d). The goal is to assist low-income, older adults with disabilities to age in place. An interprofessional team consisting of a nurse, an occupational therapist, and a "handy man" make visits and modify the environment for maximum safety. At this writing, an impressive 75% of the first 281 enrollees have seen improvement in activities of daily living.
Be the next nurse to add a case study to the Nursing Now website. You're already doing wonderful things for your patients-now it's time to tell the world about it.
Sincerely,
Maureen Anthony
REFERENCES