Carolina Nursing Joins IntraHealth for US Launch of Nursing Now Global Campaign
February 27, 2018
School of Nursing
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Nursing joined IntraHealth International on Feb. 27, 2018, as the U.S. launch site of the global health campaign, Nursing Now.
The three-year campaign aims to raise the status and profile of nursing worldwide. With the collaboration of the World Health Organization and the International Council of Nurses, the campaign will work to empower nurses, through investments in education, training and advocacy, to work to their full capacity to address the challenges of health care in the 21st century.
Nursing Now was based on the 2016 UK report The Triple Impact of Nursing — how developing nursing will improve health, promote gender equality and support economic growth and launched with live-streamed events in London and Geneva and satellite events in Chapel Hill, Jordan and South Africa, among other locations.
The day’s events were kicked off in London by Lord Nigel Crisp, co-chair of Nursing Now, who introduced an impressive slate of speakers, including nurse leaders from around the globe, and was highlighted by remarks from Her Royal Highness Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, who is serving as the campaign’s Patron.
“This campaign means a lot to me personally,” said the Duchess. “My great-grandmother and my grandmother were both volunteer nurses. From what I’ve seen in my visits to hospices and hospitals around the world, nurses are always there. You care for us in our happiest and saddest times. And for many, you look after us and our families at the end of our lives.
“In some parts of the world, nurses are perhaps the only qualified health care professionals in their communities, so your work is all the more vital. Sadly, however, many people still don’t have access to regular health care, and it is in this context that a global campaign to raise the profile and status of nursing worldwide is so important.
“I was surprised to learn that to keep pace with the rising global demand, the world will need an additional 9 million nurses by 2030. In simple terms, that’s about 2,000 more nurses every day for the next 12 years. This shows that we must act now to support and develop nurses with the skills and talent to cope with the future global health needs.”
Closer to home, Nena Peragallo Montano, dean of the School of Nursing, greeted a group of nursing leaders, educators and students from around the United States who gathered at IntraHealth International in Chapel Hill to celebrate the launch. “Obviously this is a very important global initiative, and we are pleased to support and promote it in any way we can,” she said.