Highly respected senior nurse leader Anne Morrison has joined the staff of the International Council of Nurses (ICN) as a Nurse Consultant, focusing primarily on the areas of licensing and regulation. She assumes the position formerly held by David Benton before his appointment as ICN’s Chief Executive Officer. Anne served from 2003 to 2008 as Executive Officer of the Queensland Nursing Council (QNC), an independent statutory body that regulates nursing and midwifery in Queensland, Australia.

“We are delighted that Anne has joined ICN. She has vast knowledge and experience of nursing regulation at the state and federal level”, said David Benton, ICN’s Chief Executive Officer. “She complements this with governance experience and in depth knowledge about the Asia-Pacific region. Anne’s skills and experience will enhance ICN's work addressing the needs of nurses, regulators and employers—all, ultimately, for the benefit of patients and families.”

“Regulation is one of ICN's three pillars and its work is fundamental to the other two pillars, particularly in today's globalised workplace”, Benton continued. “No country is without issues and needs in the area of nursing and health regulation. Anne's expertise will be particularly important as we respond to the growing number of nurses, nursing organisations and governments seeking technical assistance in this increasingly complex area”.

“Regulation is the point where the consumer and the health care provider meet within the health care system”, said Morrison. “It is an increasingly important area because of workforce shortages, pressure from governments to create new cadres of health workers, task shifting, and the movement of nurses around the world. It is evident that we need a new vision for regulation. This is an exciting challenge”.

Anne Morrison’s university degrees include a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Dundee College Technology, Scotland, a Bachelor of Educational Studies from the University of Queensland and a Master of Business Administration from Queensland University of Technology, Australia. She joined QNC in 1993 and served as Director of the Nursing Program and in other positions before being named Executive Officer in 2003. Previously she worked in clinical nursing, midwifery and education and she chaired the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council from 2004-2007.

The International Council of Nurses (ICN) is a federation of 132 national nurses associations representing the millions of nurses worldwide. Operated by nurses for nurses since 1899, ICN is the international voice of nursing and works to ensure quality care for all and sound health policies globally.