ICN Policy Cafés

The ICN Policy Cafés, led by the experienced ICN Nursing and Health Policy team, are dynamic sessions designed to foster insightful discussions and deepen your understanding of key nursing and health policy topics. These sessions take place over lunch and provide an opportunity to explore ICN’s latest policy work and gain valuable insights into pressing issues affecting the nursing profession and global health care.

Each Policy Café is crafted to address current challenges, innovative solutions, and strategies to advance nursing leadership and practice. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions, share their perspectives, and engage with experts and peers in a collaborative environment.

Expect thought-provoking conversations, actionable takeaways, and opportunities to network with professionals who are shaping the future of nursing and health care.

Tuesday, 10 June 1305 – 1350hrs
Room:  Live Stage - Exhibition Hall

Policy Café 1: Championing Mental Health: Advancing ICN's Guidelines for Mental Health Nursing

This one-hour Policy Café session will focus on the ICN Guidelines on mental health nursing, which provide essential frameworks for enhancing mental health care worldwide. The guidelines emphasize the critical role of mental health nurses in addressing the increasing global burden of mental health disorders, combating stigma, and advocating for human rights. The session will also highlight the importance of investing in the mental health nursing workforce, including specialized education and advanced practice roles. In addition, the World Health Organization (WHO) will be launching its mental health competencies for preservice education for nurses and doctors, further promoting the integration of mental health care into primary services. This session will offer valuable insights into how ICN's guidelines and WHO's competencies can inform policies to support mental health nurses and improve care delivery globally.

Wednesday, 11 June 1305 – 1350hrs

Room:  Live Stage - Exhibition Hall
Policy Café 2: A Vision for Primary Health Care: Paving the Path Towards Universal Health Coverage

This Policy Café will focus on the ICN report outlining a transformative vision for Primary Health Care (PHC) as a cornerstone for achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC). The session will explore the critical role of nurses in delivering accessible, affordable, and safe care across the continuum of health needs—from health promotion and disease prevention to palliative care. Participants will engage in discussions on the integration of nurse-led care coordination, team-based approaches, and the investment in advanced practice nurses (APNs) to address the workforce shortages and resource gaps in PHC. The session will also highlight the importance of digital health, community engagement, sustainable funding models, and research to ensure the resilience and effectiveness of PHC systems globally. Join us for a conversation on how ICN's vision can guide policy changes that enhance the role of nurses and drive progress toward UHC.

Thursday, 12 June 1305 – 1350hrs

Room:  Live Stage - Exhibition Hall
Policy Café 3: Global Insights, Local Actions: Advancing Nursing Workforce Sustainability

Moderated by: Dr. Gillian Adynski

As health systems face historic levels of nurse burnout, workforce shortages, and increasing demand, the global nursing community must act decisively. This Policy Café will bring together leading voices behind the most influential global reports in nursing workforce research—the President’s Report, the International Report (IND 2025), the upcoming State of the World’s Nursing Report, and the GCNMS Preliminary Findings—to reflect on what these findings mean for national-level nursing investments and reforms.
Participants will hear from authors and experts involved in generating evidence-based recommendations for strengthening the nursing profession. This session provides a unique opportunity to compare insights across datasets and regions, engage in meaningful dialogue about urgent nursing policy issues, and brainstorm practical strategies for supporting and retaining nurses locally. From burnout and unsafe working conditions to workforce migration and pay inequities, this session is an essential stop for decision-makers, advocates, and educators aiming to drive change.

Friday, 13 June 1305 – 1355hrs

Room:  Live Stage - Exhibition Hall
Policy Café 4: The Power of Student and Early Career Nurses to Change the World

Students and early career nurses are a powerful force for transformative change. As innovative thinkers, passionate advocates, and frontline practitioners, they are uniquely positioned to meet the needs and promote the wellbeing of the world’s population and the current and future nursing profession.
This policy cafe will highlight the unique perspective of student and early career nurses on a number of pressing issues in global health and nursing policy. This session brings together Representatives of the inaugural ICN Alliance of Student and Early Career Nurses (SECN Alliance) for an interactive discussion that explores how emerging nurses are contributing to strategies to address interest and retention in the nursing profession; climate change and planetary health; ethical migration and global workforce mobility; and digital health, including AI.
If you’re a student or early career nurses, this session will empower you to innovate, advocate for and implement strategies to address pressing issues in global health and nursing. For nurse leaders, this session will offer invaluable insights on how to harness the passion and innovation of emerging nurses to drive impactful policy change.

Join us and be part of the engaging discussions that empower nurses and advance health policy worldwide!