11th ICN Congress, Rome, Italy

The Congress held from 27 May – 1 June, at the Palazzo dei Congressi, Esposizione Universale Romana, was hosted by the Italian Nurses’ Association and was attended by 3,000 nurses from 57 national nurses associations. Donna Carla Gronchi, wife of the President of the Republic, had given her patronage to the congress and His Holiness the Pope received all Congress participants in audience at St. Peter’s. The Congress was opened by ICN President Marie Bihet, who along with delegates enjoyed the parade of nurses in national dress. Congress discussions centred on different aspects of nursing, including responsibility for nursing administration and the principles of administration applied to nursing education and nursing service. A paper titled The Principles of Nursing Administration was presented by E.F.L. Brech, a consulting specialist in administration. Agnes Ohlson (read more) from the United States was elected the new ICN President for the period during the meeting of the Grand Council held prior to the Congress. She was given the Watchword “Inquiry”.

In August 1958, a visit to Austria was undertaken by Alice C. Sher. She attended the meeting of the European League for Mental Hygiene in the University of Vienna; the 11th annual meeting of the World Federation for Mental Health, in the University of Vienna; the annual meeting of the Trained Nurses’ Association of Austria in Obertraun and visits to hospitals, schools of nursing, child welfare centres and a visit to the Hungarian refugee camp in Traiskirchen. Her programme was planned by Strobal, President of the Trained Nurses’ Association of Austria and Neugebauer, Executive Secretary. The programme enabled her to become better acquainted with the training and working conditions of nurses in Austria. (ICN 1958)

ICN President. Agnes Ohlson, visited headquarter staff in Geneva prior to the official visit to Ottawa, Copenhagen, Boston and New York. Ohlson addressed the tenth Anniversary Conference of the Association of Nurses’ in the Norther Countries; the 50th Anniversary Convention of the Canadian Nurses’ Association in Ottawa; and conferences of national importance in the United States. Gwen Buttery visited South Africa and addressed many meetings. Ellen Broe addressed the eighth Middle East Medical Assembly in Beirut and also visited Jordan. Following this, she presented at the Congress of the Northern Nurses Federation in Copenhagen.

In 1958, the Trained Nurses Association of India celebrated its Jubilee. The association began as the Association of Nursing Superintendents which was founded in 1905, at Lucknow, India. The first committee officers included nine European nurses holding administration posts in hospital. The first President was W. H. Klose, Hon Secretary, Burne and Hon. Treasurer Fawcett. As nurses had expressed interest in joining the association, at the annual conference in Bombay in 1908, a trained nurses’ association was formed which was inaugurated in 1909. In 1922, following the merger of the two associations the Trained Nurses’ Association of India was formed. Since its inception the association had concerned itself with member problems, personnel issues and the raising of nurse education. The TNAI Jubilee Conference at Hyderabad in 1959 was attended by nurses from the region, Burma, Thailand, Lebanon and Pakistan. (ICN 1952)

In 1959, Ellen Broe, Executive Director, participated in a Study Conference, sponsored by the South Pacific Regional Group of ICN member countries in Wellington, New Zealand from 11-15 May. This conference was attended by participants from 12 countries in the region including a large contingent from New Zealand. Arrangements were made by the New Zealand Registered Nurses Association. En-route, Broe stopped off to visit ICN member nurses’ associations in Boston, New York, Toronto, Vancouver and the Fiji Islands, arriving in Auckland for the Study Conference, the title of which was The Present needs for a Satisfactory Nursing Service. Broe presented in addition to WHO Regional Office Nursing adviser, Lily Turnbull. (ICN 1959)

For the first time in 1959, a field visit was undertaken to Latin America by ICN’s Frances Beck, during which she visited 10 countries in the area. Many other such professional visits were made by headquarter staff during this period. By invitation of the Ministers of Health and the national nurses’ associations visits were made to Poland and Yugoslavia, thus taking steps to bring back the nurses of those two countries into closer contact with their colleagues in ICN.

The Board of Directors met in Helsinki in July 1959 under the auspices of the National Council of Nurses of Finland and met with the Minister of the Interior. The American Nurses Association undertook responsibility to attend UN meetings. A pamphlet on the Basic Principles of Nursing Care was approved for publication. A new economic and social welfare division was formed in order to improve the economic and social conditions of nurses. Celebrations took place during this meeting to celebrate the 60th anniversary of ICN.

ICN (1958) Visit to India by Miss Alice C. Sher International Nursing Review pgs 80-84)

Smith C A (1952) Nursing in Pakistan. International Nursing Bulletin Winter.pgs 13-14. Notes from Archives (1954)

Ellen Broe, Executive Director, participated in a Study Conference, sponsored by the South Pacific Regional Group of ICN Member Countries in Wellington (1959) International Nursing Review 1960 February:21.