International Nurses Day: Enabling Nurses to Lead Change

“We exist to champion and unleash the creative power of nursing, inspiring and supporting nurses so that together we can drive meaningful change.” 

Clare Cable, Chief Executive

On International Nurses Day, we join the global nursing community in celebrating the diversity of nurses and nursing. With expertise and compassion, nurses lead care across communities and health systems around the world.

A fresh approach to grant making for nurses

This is an important moment for the Burdett Trust for Nursing as we launch our new way forward.

Over the next five years, we will create partnerships that bring active hope and positive change. We will build on all that we have learned since our foundation in 2002.

We will convene brave conversations which bring together nurse leaders at every level, as well as policymakers and funders to enable innovation in the present and to imagine a radically different future, where:

• relational care is central 

• digital innovation is embraced 

• creativity is unleashed 

• prevention is prioritised 

• sustainable, equitable health for all is realised 

This vision will shape our strategic pillars of grant-making and partnerships, supported by our investments and governance. 

Celebrating nurses today and every day 

On International Nurses Day, we want to celebrate the dedication, courage and leadership of nurses everywhere.  

At the Burdett Trust for Nursing, we support nurse‑led models of health and social care that enable nursing, and nurses, to flourish. Today, we are highlighting Burdett‑funded projects that demonstrate nurses’ leadership.  

These projects showcase nurses as change makers, shaping person‑centred (relational) care with individuals, families and communities. 

Nurse‑led models improving care 

The Burdett Trust for Nursing’s funding to The Organisation of Sierra Leonean Healthcare Professionals Abroad (TOSHPA) supported nurses and midwives to establish the first nurse‑led diabetes clinic in the Bo Government Hospital in Sierra Leone. This pioneering project is strengthening local capacity, improving access to long‑term condition management and positioning nurses as leaders in service design and delivery. 

The project demonstrates the power of nurse‑led care models to respond to urgent health needs, reduce inequality and build sustainable services in low‑resource settings. 

Leading trauma‑informed care in homeless health services 

Our grant to HEALTHBUS Trust is supporting the development of a trauma‑informed women’s health best‑practice model, empowering nurses, practitioners and outreach teams through training and leadership in specialist homeless healthcare settings. 

Nurses are leading service improvement, shaping practice and sharing learning to strengthen compassionate, person‑centred care for women experiencing severe disadvantage. 

Nurses leading sustainable, equitable healthcare 

The Burdett Trust for Nursing has partnered with Centre for Sustainable Healthcare is supporting a large‑scale, three‑tier educational programme designed to empower nurses and midwives to lead sustainable healthcare practice across the UK. The programme focuses on equipping nurses with the knowledge, confidence and leadership capability to address the interconnected challenges of climate change, health equity and system resilience. 

Through education and skills‑building, nurses are being supported to influence practice within their organisations and communities, helping to embed sustainable approaches to care that improve outcomes for both people and populations. The programme recognises nurses as key leaders in shaping health systems that are responsive, equitable and fit for the future. 

Nurses are leaders. Designing services, shaping practice and improving health outcomes for communities locally and globally. 

This International Nurses Day, we’re proud to spotlight Burdett‑funded projects where nurses are leading service innovation, strengthening health equity and influencing systems of care. These projects reflect our commitment to nurse‑led models of health and social care that enable nursing to flourish. 

Please read our strategy and learn more about how we will continue to support the nursing contribution to healthcare.