Imagine a world without nurses

By Ivana Hussu, June 2025

Imagine a world without nurses.  

Hospitals would become silent places, lacking care and empathy. Newborns would come into the world without a gentle hand to welcome them and elderly would pass on without comfort at their bedside. Communities would lose their health educators, their advocates and their steady presence in times of crisis. Patients would wait unattended, wounds would bleed untreated, and a massive gap would be left open in the healthcare system.  

At some point in our lives, every one of us will be assessed, treated, or comforted by a nurse, either personally or through someone we love. Nurses are the backbone of healthcare, standing on the frontlines during pandemics, climate emergencies, and conflicts. The strength and success of any health system is directly tied to the professionalism and adequacy of its nursing workforce. With all the challenges we already face in healthcare, why do we continue to disinvest in one of its most essential professions? 

Investing in nursing was one of the focal discussions at the 2025 International Council of Nursing (ICN) Congress held in Helsinki. This event gathered more than 7,000 representatives and collaborators of the nursing field, coming from 130 different countries, under the main theme of “Nursing Power to Change the World!”. 

We listened to multiple testimonies from nurses on the ground, struggling to keep going with limited resources in catastrophic conditions. After harsh aid cuts, Sudanese nurses are being asked to work on a volunteer basis, being pushed by guilt and a feeling of responsibility to their patients. Nurses in Ukraine chose not to flee, instead they stayed and worked in Russian occupied territories. Nurses in Gaza keep on working with limited resources, in conditions that are grossly insufficient to meet the current population needs. 

A nurse from Myanmar, now facing catastrophic conditions because of UNAIDS cuts, internal conflicts and natural disasters, sent a “Thank-you” message to the nurses attending the congress. She addressed the International Council of Nurses as the light that offers support. The true light, however, comes from all the nurses like her, the ones refusing to leave the front lines of conflict, bringing care, comfort, courage and hope where it is needed the most.  

A standing ovation accompanied by a long applause was dedicated to all courageous and dedicated nurses worldwide that keep on delivering care, even when it would be easier to quit. Nice gestures and awareness are important, however real change comes from actions, because vision without action is just a wish. 

The time to invest in nursing is now. In shaping a better future for healthcare, by also tackling the SDGs, nursing advancement represents a key component for progress. When nurses are in leadership positions, advocating and working within policymaking, healthcare systems improve.