| Reflections
from the ICN Conference in Geneva, Switzerland
Source: Barbara
Riegel
For some reason, even when I lived in Europe some 25 years
ago, I never visited Geneva Switzerland. After attending the
International
Council of Nurses (ICN) conference there this
June, 2003, I realized clearly what I had missed. The city
of Geneva is small, built around a stunningly beautiful lake,
and encircled entirely by France. The 450,000 or so typically
trilingual (French, English, German) inhabitants of Geneva
are an energetic, capable, and warm people. Their warmth is
evident in the many (~190) international organizations they
host. Widely recognized as the “city of Peace”,
the UN European headquarters, the World Health Organization
(WHO), the High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), and, of course,
the International Council of Nurses all call Geneva home.
The ICN meeting itself—the first I had attended—was
a stimulating venue for the discussion of health issues. There
was a strong sense of community generated by the realization
that nurses worldwide share a common commitment to issues
such as protecting the girl child, overcoming discrimination
and stigma, and patient safety.
At the meeting, I presented an overview of an instrument
measuring barriers to health care developed for immigrant
populations and tested in three samples of Hispanics in Southern
California. Although the audience was small and some spoke
little English, I was approached by a team of investigators
from Spain wanting to use the instrument. Currently, we are
discussing by email the potential for on-going collaboration.
At the closing ceremony, the mayor of Geneva spoke and welcomed
the ICN attendees to Geneva in English, French, and Spanish.
The incoming Director General of the WHO, Dr. Lee Jong-Wook,
an obstetrician, spoke about his long-standing respect for
nurses born of his success in the delivery room due to the
assistance provided by the nurses.
A highlight of the meeting was the
keynote address by our own Dr.
Linda Aiken on “Building
Excellence through Evidence”
and the Penn reception held in her honor the evening prior.
The elegant reception was attended by international attendees
from around the world. |
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