The First World War

World War I broke out in Europe in 1914 bringing many challenges to ICN and activities were disrupted for nearly a decade. Work continued albeit at a slower pace. During the war just one informal business meeting was held in 1915 in San Francisco, with representatives present from the USA and Great Britain. The newly elected ICN President, Henny Tscherning (read more), was later to become one of the moving forces in re-kindling the international spirit of nursing following the war, through her focus on the conditions under which nurses were working. At this meeting, she expressed the view that ICN was improving the conditions of the nursing profession.

A change in focus was taking place due mainly to the election of Tscherning as ICN President. She came from neutral Denmark. This election reflected ICN’s hope for peace and marked a gradual move away from the Anglo-American dominance towards a stronger Northern European presence amongst ICN leaders. This was due to the unity of the Nordic nurses that empowered them as leaders and engendered a common set of values and beliefs in the Nightingale training system. (Boschma & Stuart 1999) This strong unity promoted international exchanges amongst Nordic countries, resulting in the formation of the Northern Nurses Federation in 1920, thus allowing them to act as a united front within ICN. (Wingender 1995)

In 1918, when the guns were silenced, the map of Europe had been redrawn by war. The infrastructure of Europe had changed. Buildings were destroyed. Nurses were displaced and many lost their lives in service to their communities and to their country. Many countries had suffered from the challenges of helping populations dislocated by war. On a positive note, the end of the war heralded the beginning of opportunities to extend public health nursing to countries where it had previously been unknown. The league of Red Cross Societies, including the American Red Cross, that had been organised immediately after the war, began to address the need for public health nursing. ICN also became involved through their member association nurses’ offering educational and clinical support to the societies they served.

The war caused many hardships for the worldwide nursing community, but this decade also saw the ICN beginning to establish itself as an enduring organisation in the midst of difficult times.

Dansk Sygeplejehistorisk Museum (n.d.) https://dsr.dk/dshm/sygeplejens-historie/dansk-sygeplejeraads-formaend/henny-henriette-tscherning

Boschma G. and Stuart M. (1999) 1999) ICN during wartime:1912-1947. International Nursing Review, 46(2)41-42

Wingender N B. (1995) The Northern Nurses’ Federation 1920-1995. An English Summary Aarhuus: Sfittsbogtrykkerie 23 126