The International Council of Nurses (ICN) has come forward to help Korean Nurses Association (KNA). The global nursing body praised KNA’s push to enact the Nursing Law as an exemplary example of a global nursing strategy to protect the future healthcare system.
ICN CEO Howard Catton said so at the “ICN Nursing Strategy Conference” co-organized by Rep. Choi Yon-sook of the ruling People Power Party and Rep. Lee Soo-jin of the opposition Democratic Party of Korea at the National Assembly on Wednesday. Catton also visited Korea in April to express his support for Korean nurses and their attempts to legislate the law.
The conference was held to share nursing strategy on the occasion of adopting Global Strategic Directions for Nursing and Midwifery at the World Health Assembly (WHA), the top decision-making body of WHO.
The nursing strategy contains information on resolving the shortage of nurses and appointing nursing policy officers within the government organization.
“This is the first time the WHA has adopted a nursing strategy. It indicates that training and hiring nurses are important to protect the future health care system," Catton said. “The Korean government should invest in nursing and implement (nursing) strategies."
The ICN head emphasized that KNA’s efforts to legislate the Nursing Law are “a model example of the global nursing strategy.” He added that the Nursing Law has served as an opportunity for more people to receive nursing benefits in countries that have enacted the law.
KNA Chair Shin Kyong-lim said, “For the future healthcare system in Korea, we need to train skilled nurses sufficiently. An investment in nursing is an investment for all of us. Legal and institutional support should be provided
Rep. Lee, a former nurse, said, “Just as the WHA has adopted a nursing strategy, the enactment of the nursing law is also very important. The enactment of the nursing law has entered a countdown phase. Please make last-minute efforts until the day it's enacted."
The bill for the Nursing Law is now pending at the Assembly’s Legal and Judicial Committee. The KNA is preparing for a rally of 50,000 people on Nov. 2 to urge the National Assembly to enact the nursing law. ICN Chairperson Pamela Cipriano will also attend and announce her support.