https://www.infirmiere-canadienne.com/blogs/ic-contenu/2025/05/22/partie-3-de-3-sylvain-brousseau-candidature-cii
Part 3 of 3: Sylvain Brousseau answers our questions on his ICN bid
Isabelle Michaud
“I will propose that ICN reinforce its key international partnerships and relationships and establish connections with influential bodies such as the World Health Assembly and other international health and nursing forums. To involve non-affiliated countries, a targeted awareness-raising and promotion strategy will be deployed among nursing leaders to get them to join ICN,” Sylvain Brousseau says.
Editor’s note: Former CNA president Sylvain Brousseau is a candidate for the North America and Caribbean seat on the board of directors of the International Council of Nurses (ICN). We sent him a series of questions to learn more about his vision for ICN and global health. Visit ICN’s website to learn more about his candidacy and watch his video.
Based on the new ICN strategic plan (2024-2029) and aligned with the State of the World’s Nursing 2025 report, we need to embark on a path to increase and strengthen the global impact and effectiveness of ICN. I outlined six strategies in my candidacy for ICN and I propose a structured approach with several key initiatives. Here's how I, as a newly elected member of the ICN board of directors, plan to turn these strategies into concrete actions over the next five years:
1. Strengthening advocacy and policy influence: I will propose that ICN reinforce its key international partnerships and relationships and establish connections with influential bodies such as the World Health Assembly and other international health and nursing forums. I will propose bold solutions to increase collaboration with nursing experts to create robust, evidence-based policy recommendations, and I will advocate for ICN’s participation in international health policy discussions to ensure nursing perspectives are included. I will advocate for policies that promote diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) by proposing the creation of a DEI action council within ICN. This council would advocate for better working conditions, fairer hiring practices, and increased access to professional development opportunities. By influencing policy at local and international levels, we can create an environment where all nurses feel valued and represented.
2. Building and amplifying strategic international partnerships: I will propose that ICN build strong partnerships with international nursing organizations and local nursing bodies. I will support increased collaboration through joint initiatives, joint projects, and regular communication. These partnerships will help bridge gaps and create a unified approach to global nursing challenges. I strongly believe that, by working together, we can leverage collective expertise and resources to drive impactful change.
3. Reinforcing communication, visibility and adding new members: I will propose that ICN leverage its communication and visibility through social media by utilizing platforms like BlueSky, LinkedIn, and Facebook to share ICN’s work and achievements. ICN should continue to publish nursing and health research — as well as success stories and case studies — to highlight the impact of nursing interventions globally. ICN should also continue to build strong relationships with journalists and traditional media outlets to increase coverage of nursing issues nationally and internationally. To expand ICN membership, I will propose a multifaceted and inclusive strategy focused on strengthening regional engagement, improving communication, and increasing accessibility. The creation or strengthening of regional hubs could support local knowledge exchange and advocacy, while the appointment of national liaison officers will ensure effective two-way communication with national nursing associations. I will also support the alignment of national policies with ICN’s global strategies, while respecting local contexts. To involve non-affiliated countries, a targeted awareness-raising and promotion strategy will be deployed among nursing leaders to get them to join ICN. For example, the introduction of flexible, staggered or progressive membership models will remove barriers to entry for countries with limited resources and organizational capacity. This will make ICN membership more accessible, equitable and truly inclusive on a wider scale, to ensure that nurses in non-affiliated countries have a strong voice.
4. Investing in nursing leadership and education: I will advocate for more funding to support ICN leadership programs such as the Global Nursing Leadership Institute and ensure they’re offered in the three official languages. As a newly elected board member, I will contribute to facilitating access to nursing education by working with academic institutions to provide scholarships and grants for continuing nursing education. I would propose the development of training modules and encourage ICN to disseminate more training materials that focus on leadership, governance and policy skills.
5. Empowering ethical recruitment and fostering workforce stability: I will suggest formulating standards to ensure ethical recruitment practices within the nursing profession. To retain all generations in all areas of nursing practice, we must focus on innovative approaches and strategies aimed at improving working conditions and fostering job satisfaction. In collaboration with the World Health Organization and national nursing associations, I would propose an international dynamic workforce tracking platform that would continuously evaluate and address issues related to workforce stability and mobility. This platform would maintain a robust global nursing workforce based on ethical nursing recruitment practices.
6. Amplifying nursing innovation and research: I will support the development of new partnerships with a variety of large corporations, universities and governments to allocate resources to support innovative nursing research projects. I would propose that ICN create nursing research networks to establish groups of nursing and health researchers to collaborate on studies on planetary health, the social determinants of health, nursing retention, nursing student residency and education, and management. The networks would then share their findings worldwide to ensure that knowledge is widely disseminated and integrated into practice.
By following this structured approach, I believe that initiatives will be effectively prioritized, resulting in increased global impact and effectiveness of ICN. By implementing these strategies, we can ensure that the voices of nurses from different regions and backgrounds are included in the ICN board’s decisions, ultimately leading to more effective and equitable outcomes for the global nursing community.
Sylvain Brousseau, PhD, RN, FFNMRCSI, FAAN, is a recipient of the King Charles III’s Coronation Medal and the former president of the Canadian Nurses Association and member of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing. The ICN board election will occur at the ICN Congress in June 2025.
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