Scientific Programme

Scientific Programme

The International Council of Nurses 2023 Congress will be an in-person event in Montreal, Canada, harnessing the full force of the world’s 28 million nurses. For four days, 1-5 July 2023, we will come together in unity to learn, share and network with each other to build a better future for nursing and healthcare.

ICN 2023 promises to be our most influential Congress yet, showcasing nurses’ renewed strength and energy, and our ability to make a difference to health and healthcare everywhere. It will include a huge timetable of content, including plenary sessions, main, regional and concurrent sessions, e-poster displays, symposia and interactive policy cafés.

Multidisciplinary plenary sessions and symposia will cater to an international audience and bring together nurses from all regions of the world. With its theme, “Nurses Together: A Force for Global Health”, we will have a gathering of the global nursing community that will look at how we can build on the lessons of the past few years, continue influencing and reinforcing inclusive health systems and advancing the nursing profession.

Session Types

Plenary Sessions

In Plenary Sessions, you will hear from leading experts changing the world of healthcare. World-renowned healthcare leaders and experts from the field will share their thoughts on the future of healthcare and cover timely topics spanning the breadth of healthcare and nursing.

Regional Sessions

Regional Sessions will shed light on the progress of the nursing profession in different countries around the world. They will examine and outline recent innovations, advancement of practice and potential challenges to healthcare. The six regional sessions will bring together nurse experts from the regions of Africa, Americas, Eastern Mediterranean, Europe, Southeast Asia and Western Pacific. As a result of attending these sessions, participants will have a better appreciation of healthcare and nursing in different parts of world, ultimately fostering innovations and new ideas.

Main Sessions

Our Main Sessions will feature highly esteemed international and local speakers who dive deep into their presentations to uncover some of the most important issues facing nurses today. The sessions provide opportunities for in-depth exchange of experiences and expertise within and beyond the international nursing community. Stakeholders across the health sector─ including nursing experts, other health professionals, researchers, policymakers, and patients ─ will come together to bring us their insight into making health for all a reality.

Sessions will focus on the latest developments in nursing contributions to improving health and wellness for individuals, families, communities and the entire world. Big topics affecting nursing will be covered, including health emergency preparedness and response, global health priorities, health and wellbeing of the health workforce, workforce planning, ethics, leadership, nursing regulation, advanced practice, and many more.

Concurrent Sessions

Our Concurrent Sessions are composed of oral abstract presentations (10 minutes presentation + Q&A), selected among the best abstracts submitted to the ICN 2023 Congress. Concurrent sessions provide great opportunities for participants to share scientific knowledge and practice of clinical care, to engage in stimulating discussions and to gain insight into the eight abstract sub-themes. Concurrent sessions will allow participants to ask questions and meet the experts and researchers in the field.

Click here for a breakdown of concurrent session subthemes.

NNA Symposia

Each NNA Symposium is led by an ICN national nurses association (NNA). These symposia will focus on one specific theme with 3-4 international speakers working together thoughtfully to highlight the latest nursing practice, research, education and professional issues. Cutting-edge nursing and health topics will be explored from a global perspective. The format of these symposia will be highly interactive and thought-provoking.

Policy Cafés

The ICN Policy Cafés are highly popular. Located in the exhibition hall, the two Cafés give the opportunity for small group discussion with a panel of experts on a key ICN policy or priority topic. Arranged in an informal setting, the Cafés allow delegates to ask in-depth questions and interact with keynote speakers.

Master Classes

A Master Class will provide a valuable and hands-on learning experience on a particular nursing skill. These classes will be led by recognised authorities in their fields and will be carried out in a simulated environment.

The number of participants is very limited in each class. Participants are welcome to register for the master classes in advance. Additional charges may be applied.

Interpretation

Simultaneous interpretation in English, French and Spanish will be available for the Opening and Closing Ceremony, in all plenary sessions, regional sessions and main sessions.