The I.C.N.

In 1926, ICN issued its first edition of the quarterly publication, The I.C.N. Publication of The I.C.N. was decided upon by the ICN Board of Directors in Halila, Finland in July 1925, its name having been suggested by Baroness Sophie Mannerheim (ICN President 1922-1925).

ICN President Nina D. Gage (read more) (1925-29), in the first edition of The I.C.N. in January 1926, wrote that ICN, by its constitution, united nurses of various countries in efforts to advance:

“The profession of nursing by greater unity of thought, sympathy, and purpose …to improve our work in the care of the sick, to promote the health of the nations.”. The aim is to “raise even higher… the public usefulness of their members”. “The International of Nurses stands for that full development of the human being and citizen in every nurse which shall best enable her to bring her professional knowledge and skill to the many-sided service that modern society demands of her.” (Gage 1926)

Gage continued:

“…the founders of the federation of nurses realised that there are no national boundaries in the service of society, but that the fundamental needs of man are the same the world over – health of mind, body and spirit – if he is to do his work in the world.” (Gage 1926)

She continued with her insightful view of nursing and the problems it faced by describing what she meant by the comprehensiveness of this triangle of health needs. Nurses were being asked to assist people to seek and obtain positive health, not just what not being ill meant by increased efficiency and ability to work, but by showing them what this meant and how to obtain it. New and more complex demands were being placed on nurses and it was only through intercommunication and exchange of ideas, methods and plans that these new demands could be met. Epidemics, such as the influenza pandemic of 1918-19 which killed an estimated 20 to 50 million people worldwide, could devastate the world and nurses could help in preventing their spread if they knew the best methods to employ.

Gage, writing in The I.C.N., delivered her opinions saying that through research, ICN was endeavouring to shed light on the meaning and effects of good nursing, to find out what was required of nurses in providing good nursing care and to learn what factors influenced good nursing: political, economic, social, spiritual, physical and mental. She continued by writing that working with people of different nationalities, as ICN does, by attending and participating in conferences can break down national barriers and make for international peace and by all working toward the same aim of mutual helpfulness will determine what nursing services should mean to a community. Gage ended her Editorial with these words:

“Only by a worldwide organisation can we do this, as only by world-wide research and mutual help can we evaluate causes and effects and find how best to solve our problems, and do our part in making the world better and happier.” (Gage 1926)

In responding to the request to write for the first edition of The I. C. N., Ethel Gordon Fenwick, wrote on The International Idea – A Retrospect. She confirmed that the development of ICN had been guided through the Watchwords chosen for each presidency. Material welfare did not prompt the founders to establish ICN. but what did prompt them she wrote:

“…was the aspiration that in our effort to attain to the highest possible we might be strengthened and might strengthen our sisters in other lands, by uniting in the promotion of common purpose.” (Gordon Fenwick 1926)

Gordon Fenwick then provided her insightful view of what her generation’s purpose was:

“To light and tend the growing flame of the ICN. At the end of 26 years it burns with a steady and hopeful glow. To have had visions and dreamed dreams, to have seen those visions materialise, and those dreams come true, has been my happy experience as Founder of the International Council of Nurses. Having written down its Constitution it was necessary to make it live and to do so they had to inspire it with the vital force of a fine powerful spirit.” .” (Gordon Fenwick 1926)

In keeping with the themes identified by the early presidents, Mary Adelaide Nutting (read more), an American nurse and educator, writing in The I.C.N. Journal in 1928 spoke of the endowment of nursing education. She remarked that past history was marked by great advanced in science, research, increased development in the number of hospitals, prevention of disease and protection of health and increased complexity in tasks being delivered by nurses. She noted in her Editorial:

“Knowledge and ability of nurses have become progressively exacting and difficult to meet with new and wider range of duties all of which has led to a movement of nursing schools moving toward university education and the beginning of endowment for nursing education.” [36]

Nina D. Gage (1926) writing in the first edition of the I.C.N. Journal Vol 1(1) 1 ICN Archives, ICN Headquarters, Geneva. (January)

Ethel Gordon Fenwick (1926) ‘Work’ was their first Watchword I. C. N Journal Vol 1 (1)3 ICN Archives, Geneva.

ICN and the International Red Cross Society

The relationship between ICN and the Red Cross began with Florence Nightingale and Henri Dunant of the Red Cross. It transpired that Florence Nightingale had inspired Henri Dunant, founder of the Red Cross, to seek help for wounded war victims. He had placed a proposal for a relief society to help the treatments of the wounded in war before the Society of Public Utility of Geneva, later to become the International Red Cross Treaty. Nightingale had laid the foundations upon which modern nursing was based and both worked towards a similar ideal of treating the sick and wounded.

The Treaty of Geneva laid down obligations to the sick and wounded; consequently, in times of war, nurses were required to take care of wounded soldiers. As few civilian schools of nursing were available, Red Cross hospitals and schools of nursing undertook this work and national nurses associations affiliated with ICN provided the needed instruction as well. Thus, the Red Cross was free to function as a relief agency in times of war and nurses were free to develop professionally, both benefitting whilst maintaining their own ideals. The Red Cross, although neutral and humane, was not a professional organisation but required the services of professional nurses at certain times. When working together, they were of mutual assistance to each other and to the society they served in fulfilling their ideals. (Noyes 1926)

ICN was involved with the Red Cross Society in an advisory capacity during this period. During the Second Pan-American Red Cross Conference held in Washington in 1926, under the auspices of the League of Red Cross Societies, resolutions were passed calling for International Societies to work toward the advancement of nursing education. To achieve this aim, it was necessary to promote, in the minds of the public, the national importance of nursing. This move was expected to assist in improving the social and economic status of the nurse. A further resolution called for each National Red Cross Society to constitute an Advisory Nursing Committee to be composed of representative nurses, whose appointment was recommended by the national nurses’ associations and that Red Cross Societies endeavour to stimulate the development of schools of nursing, in co-operation with universities or other educational institutions. (League of Red Cross Societies 1926)

Ways and means of promoting co-operation between Red Cross Societies and professional nurses’ organisations were discussed during the Round Table on Organisation of the Nursing Service of the Red Cross. J.E. Browne (Canada) described the co-operation existing between the Canadian Red Cross and nurses’ organisations. During the war, the Canadian Red Cross referred matters relating to nursing to the President of the Canadian Nurses’ Association. It was not until after the war that the provincial division of the Red Cross invited representatives of the provincial nurses’ association to become members of the Red Cross Executive, both organisations having close cooperation in matters operational including the planning of Red Cross Outposts. This cooperation extended to nurse education. All post-graduate courses for nurses in universities in Canada were made possible by grants from the Red Cross. The nursing profession warmly welcomed this level of cooperation, including in 1923, when the Canadian Red Cross launched its scheme for home nursing classes when registered nurses offered their services. (Browne 1926) The Red Cross had official dealings only with the responsible officers of the Registered Nurses’ Associations.

Noyes C. D. (1926) The Red Cross and its Relations to National Organisations of Nurses ICN Journal Vol 1(2)71-72).

League of Red Cross Societies (1926) The Second Pan-American Red Cross Conference, Washington. ICN Journal Vol 1(2)71-72).ICN Archives Geneva

Browne J. E. (1926) Ways and means of promoting co-operation between Red Cross Societies and professional organisation of nurses’ ICN Vol 1(2) 73.