International Council of Nurses founded in London

Background. The International Council of Nurses was founded in 1899 and was the first international organization for health care professionals. The event scope places the founding in London at a meeting of the Matron's Council of Great Britain and Ireland, though the supplied passages do not themselves describe that meeting. The organization's present-day status as a federation of more than 140 national nurses associations, and its goals of representing nursing worldwide, advancing the profession, promoting nurse wellbeing, and advocating for health in all policies, are noted here only as out-of-scope context.

Formation. ICN was first proposed in 1899 at the Congress of the International Council of Women by Mrs Bedford Fenwick during a day devoted to nursing questions. A provisional committee was formed with nurses from Great Britain, the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, the Netherlands, and Denmark.

Early Organization. As a subsequent development outside the founding event itself, the first constitution and officials were elected in 1900: Mrs Bedford Fenwick (Great Britain) president, Miss Lavinia Dock (United States) honorary treasurer and Miss M Agnes Snively (Canada) honorary treasurer. The source passage lists both Dock and Snively with the title honorary treasurer, an apparent duplication. By the time of the second ICN Congress in 1904 in Berlin, Great Britain, the United States and Germany had national nursing organizations affiliated to ICN.