Power in Numbers: Nightingale Initiative and World Nurses

There are power in numbers, or so its said. One of the largest health care groups in the world, nurses, are banning together to pledge to move the entire world towards increased health. Is this just an over-inflated publicity stunt or do these nurses mean business? In this, the international year of the nurse, it looks like these nurses are serious about fixing the problems that many other health organizations/professionals have yet been unsuccessful at.

A review of the Nightingale Declaration website at www.nightingaledeclaration.net reveals an elaborate and well organized movement to bring nurses together in unit to battle health issues. Informing the public and bring nurses together in collaboration are two of the top priorities of this organization, that aptly notes at its website “There are more than 15 million nurses worldwide. However, NIGH’s recent research reflects that there is still a poor awareness of the critical role played by nurses in society.”

Building on the pioneering efforts of nurse and epidemiologist Florence Nightingale the organization has endorsements from such fames as Dr. Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury and pulls its missional drive from statements by the Rev. Tutu, Sir Michael Marmot and Dr. Ruth Bell. Over 19,000 nurses have already signed the declaration and while signature alone does not guarantee movement by nurses it does denote a recognition of the state of health of the world, social responsibility to those in need and the ability of nurses to meet many of the crises the world faces. It is a first and important step in organization and recognition.

If you would like to read more about the initiative you can at: http://www.nightingaledeclaration.net/. Better yet, sign the initiative at https://www.nightingaledeclaration.net/declaration/healthy/.