My thoughts on joining the International Council of Nurses - Graham Revie

I must admit I have really struggled with this. I am a pragmatist, a realist, some may say socialist and self declared trade unionist. There are probably a few other 'ists' that people will attribute to me but I do reflect a lot.

I believe that I have looked at the rationale for and against and have came to this conclusion.

The RCN is a global force and claims the ground of being the voice of nursing. We derive our power from our influence on the world stage on which nursing holds society together. We have a duty to contribute to the Nursing agenda on a worldwide scale. We should be a voice that is heard globally and influences positive change. This means we should be influencing Health Policy through the World and in particular around the WHO table. The ICN has this recognition.

As a Trade unionist and socialist I feel a moral responsibility to support Nursing communities throughout the world. To that end I find the methodology for Nursing improvement promoted by ICN very appealing. I reflect on the Way the Big Issue Charity works. The offering of a leg up to support the development and advancement of nursing practice a much more sustainable approach than hand outs which help at the time but the benefits are short lived.

The pragmatist in me looks at cost. Just under £0.5 million is a large sum of money. You need to say it quickly or it begins to frighten. Lets put it in context. That would be £1 per member per year. The benefits for me far outweighs this cost.

We have a duty to our Nursing community in the UK but we also have a duty to care about nursing communities throughout the world. Be generous as a developed country those least fortunate and make that investment count.

For these reasons I endorse and support joining ICN.

Graham Revie