The nurse of tomorrow

Even since 1950, the seventh of April has been celebrated as World Health Day, because it marks the date in 1948 when WHO was founded. Each year a theme related to international public health has been chosen for World Health Day, with an appropriate slogan. This year the slogan is "Health for all--all for health." In 1954, "The nurse--pioneer of health" was selected as the slogan "to", in the words of former WHO Director-General Marcolino Candau, "bring about a clearer realization of the fundamental importance of the nurse's work for the health of the world." At the time Dr Candau took the opportunity to acknowledge "the valuable support and cooperation which WHO has consistently received from the ICN both before and since its admission into official relationship." To promote the nursing theme in 1954, material was prepared by the WHO for distribution to organizations and media around the world. Included in its kit was the following article by Daisy Bridges, ICN Executive Secretary 1948-61. Written 35 years ago, when ICN had already been in existence for over a half century, this article aptly expresses an ICN philosophy that remains unchanged and illustrates how ICN since its inception in 1899 has been working toward developing a nursing profession that can, with other health disciplines, not only help care for the sick, prevent disease and promote health but share in the planning of such a service and take the responsibility for its own professional contribution.