Scientific Committee
Dr Fatima Al-Rifai is a pioneer in nursing in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). In 2021, She received the H. H. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE and Ruler of Abu Dhabi, the Abu-Dhabi Award for being instrumental in developing nursing in the UAE. She is a member of the International Council of Nurses' Board of Directors. Emirates Nurses Association Board Member and former Secretary of the UAE Nursing and Midwifery Council. She was the Advisor for nursing affairs for the UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention till April 2021. She has led and provided consultation and advice working with WHO, ICN and UAE Women's Union and being a member of several national, regional and international professional organisations. She has been leading and investing in building a culture of nursing excellence.
Dr. Nanthaphan Chinlumprasert is an Assistant Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Nursing, Saint Louis College in Thailand. She has 34 years of experience in educational management and curriculum development at the university level. Her research area of interest is global health, nursing leadership, workforce issues, quality assurance and patient safety, violence against women, gender issues, tobacco control, and health promotion. Professionally, she joined the government team to serve as a Thai delegate in WHA for several times where she experienced doing intervention on the issues related to the health and nursing workforce. She exercised her leadership in organizing ICN regional conference in 2021&2023, ICN-AWFF and AANA in 2023 including the initiative of international exposure program for faculty members and master students. For nursing leadership development to prepare potential young nurse leaders, she has initiated training projects for nursing student representatives to join ICN conferences and Congress from 2005-present. She completed Global Nursing Leadership Institute training in 2012 and ICN Leadership for Change in 2013. She currently serves on the ICN Board of Directors, representing South-East Asia Region in 2021-2025.
José Luis Cobos Serrano, PhD, MCR, BSN, is a member of the Board of Directors of the International Council of Nurses (ICN) and Third Vice-President of the Spanish General Council of Nursing. He is also an expert member of the European Medicines Agency and an expert member of national (UNE) and international (ISO) committees and standardisation bodies. He is also the technical coordinator of the Nursing Prescription. Dr Serrano is editor of the Spanish edition of the ICN journal, International Nursing Review, and a member of the editorial board of the journal Enfermería Facultativa. He has also been a reviewer for several scientific journals.
Christophe Debout is a nurse anesthetist. He has successively held positions in clinical practice, management, education and research in France and abroad. He is currently Head of nursing graduate programs at the Institut de Formation Inter hospitalier Théodore Simon (IFITS) and nurse scientist in the health chair at Sciences-Po/IDS UMR S 1145. His research interests are on advanced nursing practice, clinical nursing leadership and health literacy in anesthesia.He is deputy editor of the Revue Francophone Internationale de Recherche Infirmière (Elsevier Masson) and is series editor of "Advanced practice in nursing" (Springer).He is currently president of the National council of nurse anaesthetist (CNPIA), Vice-President of the French academy of nursing science (ASI) and Vice-President of the French association for nursing education (CEFIEC). He is a member of the European academy of nursing science (EANS).
Dr Hasan is an assistant professor at the College of Nursing in Kuwait and an adjunct assistant professor at the College of Nursing and Health Sciences at Flinders University in Australia. His educational background includes a Master of Science in Nursing and PhD from Flinders University - South Australia, with a specialization in Community Health Nursing and Public Health. He possesses extensive experience in nursing education, nursing leadership, health education and health promotion. In 2022 Dr Hasan was appointed the national representative for nurses in Kuwait. As a researcher, Dr. Hasan is primarily interested in promoting the health of children, adolescents and young people in schools and communities.
Professor, PhD Mari Kangasniemi is working at the Department of Nursing Science in the University of Turku, Finland and as a Visiting Professor at University of Tartu, Estonia. She has worked at the university as a full-time researcher and teacher since 2002. Her main research interest is focused on nursing and health care ethics and she is also investigating the change of social and health care work and environmental responsibility in patient care. Kangasniemi have approximately 150 peer-reviewed scientific papers, act as a research group leader and a member of national and international multidisciplinary research groups, supervisor and teacher for academic degrees and the lecturer and expert in various scientific and societal groups and tasks.
Tarja Kvist is a Registered Nurse and a professor in preventive nursing science and a head of department of Nursing Science at the University of Eastern Finland. She is a leader of An attractive multicultural work environment in the wellbeing services county of North Savo (TRACTION) project funded by European Social Fund+, vice leader of national Nursing Sensitive Indicators in Assessing and Developing Nursing Care Quality (NurSeInQual). She also leads the group of Promoting resilient care, workforce and leadership in diverse nursing communities. She was one among the researchers who started Magnet Hospital Research in Finland at 2010’s. She is a developer of several instruments (Kuopio University Hospital Job Satisfaction Scale KUHJSS, Transformational Leadership Scale TLS, Humane Caring Scale HCS and RHCS, Registered Nurses' Perceptions of Rewarding Scale RNREWS, Multidimensional Nursing Generation Questionnaire MNGQ). She has published 99 international peer reviewed articles and several others. She has international collaboration with several universities, e.g. the University of Pittsburgh, Medical University of Warsaw, University of Kansas, Karolinska University Hospital. She is a Founding president of SIGMA’s Alpha Beta Nu chapter (first in Finland, 2022). She is supervising post docs, PhD-students (supervised 8 (principal) and 6 (second)), supervised more than 150 master theses.
Sonoe Mashino serves as Professor at the Research Institute of Nursing Care for People and Community, University of Hyogo, Japan. She is the Head of WHO Collaborating Centre for Disaster Risk Management for Health. For over 20 years, Sonoe has taught nursing leadership and management for undergraduate and graduate levels. She also contributed on the development of curriculum for disaster nursing in Japan. Her research interests include transformation of nursing care system and nursing education, human resource management in nursing, capacity building of healthcare workers in disaster risk management and psychosocial care of disaster survivors and responders. In recent years, she has worked with WHO Center for Health Development on activities related to strengthening health systems and capacity building for Health Emergency and Disaster Risk Management for Health.
I have been a Registered Nurse for the past 24 years. I commenced my role as an Advanced Practice Nurse in the Primary Health Care setting in 2010. I am one of the Vice Presidents for the Nurses Association of Jamaica (NAJ) and President for the Jamaica Association of Nurse Practitioners (JANP). I represented the Caribbean on the International Council of Nurses Nurse Practitioner /Advanced Practice Nurse (ICN NP/APN) Health Policy Subgroup from 2017 to 2019. I joined the ICN NP/APN Core Steering Group in 2019 and have been the Global Membership Officer since 2021. I co- authored the Guidelines on Advanced Practice Nursing 2020, Guidelines on Prescriptive Authority for Nurses 2021, A Global SWOT Analysis of Advanced Practice Nursing : Policy , Regulation , and Practice and the Nurse Practitioners and Nurse Anesthetists : The Evolution of the Global Roles . I was one the first International Ambassadors for the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP). I was selected to serve as an Editorial Board member for the Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (JAANP) in 2022 and was inducted as Fellow for the AANP in June 2023.
Jed Montayre, RN, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the School of Nursing and Director of the Centre of Evidence-based Practice for Healthcare Policy of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. He has a strong clinical background in gerontology and medical-surgical nursing. Dr. Montayre is an experienced nurse academic, having worked in the Philippines, New Zealand, Australia, and Hong Kong. His research focuses on age-friendly communities, ageing and health, cardiovascular health of migrant populations, nursing policy and workforce issues. Dr. Montayre served as a member of the Nursing Council of New Zealand Registrant and Education Quality Committee. He was awarded the New Zealand Young Nurse of the Year in 2016, and received a Policy Fellowship from the Australian College of Nursing. He has also chaired the New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) Nursing Research College. Dr. Montayre is Editor of Journal of Clinical Nursing and Deputy Editor in Chief of the Australasian Journal on Ageing.
Professor Madeleine Mukeshimana has been a nurse educator and leader at the University of Rwanda's School of Nursing and Midwifery since 2011. From 2016 to 2021, she served as Deputy Dean and then Dean of the school. She is currently a full Professor of Nursing, Chair of the Research Committee at the School of Nursing and Midwifery, and a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. Prof. Mukeshimana has contributed to developing and reviewing nursing programs and healthcare policies in Rwanda. She actively promotes gender equality and equity and consults for the CERTA foundation, which works to eradicate Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and foster Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) in Rwanda. She is a member of Sigma Theta Tau International and was part of the 23rd ICN congress scientific committee. Trained in leadership by the ICN's ODENNA program, she is active in the Rwanda Nurses and Midwives Union and the Rwanda Nursing Council. Recently, she was nominated to the ICN Education Chapter Committee representing the African region. Prof. Mukeshimana's expertise includes nursing education, leadership, and research. She developed a Collaborative Care Model in Rwanda that improved the quality of care for patients with comorbid mental and medical health issues.
Currently, Valeria Quintero serves as the Board Director of the Nursing Department at University Hospital of Uruguay and leads the Best Practice for Nursing Care program. Valeria was formerly an assistant professor at the College of Nursing, University of Uruguay, where she lectured at several conferences on Information and Communication Technologies for nurses. She is also a regional consultant for the National Nurses Association (NNA) of MERCOSUR, covering Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay, and has contributed to projects such as the Paraguayan Nurses Census. In 2022, Valeria completed the ICN Global Nursing Leadership Institute (GNLI) program as a scholar from the PAHO region. She leads the “Promotion of Digital Competence for Uruguayan Nurses” project and is responsible for Enfermedia.uy, a multimedia platform for nurses. Valeria holds a Ph.D. in Public Health from Moon University, a master’s in health services from the University of Uruguay, and an MBA in Advanced Techniques of Management and Policy Decision from Business School Formato Educativo, Spain. Valeria has been an advocate for nurses in trade union activities and has significantly contributed to the development of digital skills for nurses.
Nina Sivertsen, PhD (Nurs/Midwif), have worked within nursing, midwifery, and research for 17 years. Nina is an arctic Indigenous Sámi woman with áhkkut (grandmothers) from Gáivuonbahta/Olmmáivággi (Birtavarre/Manndalen) and Ivgomuotki (Lyngseidet), and áhcci (father) from Ruhtanjárga in Liidnavuonna (Lille Lerresfjord). She was born and grew up in Dáigevuotna (Tyfjorden, a fjord in Tana on the eastside of the Nordkinn-peninsula in Gáŋgaviikka gielda/Gamvik county). The Norwegianization (assimilation) made significant inroads in the coastal Sámi villages, including Nina’s family. The Sami heritage has been an important part of her life, especially since experiencing how historical traumas can affect life and health over time. Dr Sivertsen currently works at the UiT Arctic University of Norway, and Flinders University, Australia, with a focus on the nexus between Indigenous family and community health, clinical care in health systems and services research, and implementing Indigenous perspectives in higher education. She is also teaching into the Sámi Nursing Education in Guovdageaidnu.
David is the Deputy Chief Nurse, leading the Nursing and Health Policy Team. He is a highly accomplished and strategically focused health professional with nearly three decades of global and Australian healthcare experience. David provides crucial advice and leadership on strategies, policies, and management systems to enhance healthcare accessibility and patient outcomes. Known for his collaborative and values-based leadership, David empowers teams, influences decisions, and drives innovation and reform. Since joining ICN in 2016, David has led transformative projects by engaging with global health leaders. His previous roles in Queensland Health include Director of Nursing, Director of Central Integrated Cancer Service, and Nursing Director of Cancer Services, providing him with extensive experience in health service delivery, policy, and project management. David is a prolific author and a sought-after public speaker, inspiring and shaping the next generation of nursing leaders.
Hoi Shan Fokeladeh is the Senior Policy Advisor at the Nursing and Health Policy Team. She has been with the International Council of Nurses (ICN) since 2018, contributing her extensive expertise in international health policy and clinical fieldwork. Hoi Shan advocates for evidence-based nursing health policies and develops ICN policies on diverse topics, including nurse well-being during health emergencies, primary health care, immunization, and patient safety. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she led efforts in data collection and analysis of infections and deaths among nurses, co-authoring a report on the pandemic's impact on the health workforce. Her previous experience includes humanitarian policy work at the World Health Organization and fieldwork with refugee populations. Hoi Shan is dedicated to advancing the nursing profession and addressing global health challenges.
Agustina Soto Acebal joined ICN in May 2023, as administrative assistant and coordinator. She contributes to the Nursing & Health Policy team's mission to advance global health through nursing practice and policy. Beginning her career in customer service, she transitioned to management roles in the telecommunications sector. She then served as a Project Manager for a conservation trust in Malawi, Africa, followed by positions in France with NGOs as a regional liaison secretary and policy administrative assistant. Agustina's career highlights her adaptability and broad expertise across diverse fields.