The development of nursing within the red cross and redcrescent movement from 1890 to 2011

Introduction: In 1859, Henri Dunant from Switzerland, witnessed the battle in Solferino and the suffering amongthe soldiers. In 1863 the ”International Committee for Relief to the Wounded” held its first meeting.It later became the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Henry Dunant suggestedcreating national relief societies, recognizable by the common emblem, and an international treatyto protect the wounded on the battlefield. Shortly thereafter states responded by establishingnursing schools educating Red Cross/Red Crescent (RCRC) nurses. Methods: The historical data on RCRC nursing education derives mainly from two of our research projects; i)the 2009 international questionnaire-survey of nursing activities within the InternationalFederation of the RCRC 186 Societies, and ii) an on-going study where a questionnaire has beensent to RCRC nursing education institution in 30 countries from Africa, Asia, Europe, Middle Eastand South America. Results: Already during the late 19th century, Japan and Sweden as pioneer countries commenced RCRCnursing education, as a response to the humanitarian needs forced by wars and disasters. Later onin 1919, the International Federation of the RCRC established a Nursing Division at the headquarterin Geneva to support and guide its member societies in nursing related issues. In 1947 theNursing Division was reorganized as a respond to the situation after the Second World War and called Nursing and Social Service Bureau. In 1984 the Nursing Bureau was dissolved and nursing issues organized within the Health and Care Department. However, this reorganization did not support a focus on nursing issues including nursing education for the years to come. As a result the Red Cross Nursing Education institutions in Japan and Sweden invited RCRC nursing institutions from all over the world to set up a new Global RCRC Nursing Education network for educational issues with focus on disaster preparedness and response. This new and unique network was launched in connection to the ICN International Nursing Conference in 2011. Discussion and conclusion: Nursing education within the RCRC Movement has over time been responsive to local and globalvulnerability. Countries affected by unrest and disaster and with weak health systems couldbenefit from the experience of nursing education within the RCRC Movement and the newlycreated Global RCRC Nursing Network can be seen as a vehicle of such knowledge.