"The first time I heard about the Nursing Now Challenge, I was a first-year nursing student inspired by its vision. Today, I can proudly say that I also help carry that vision forward by empowering the next generation of nursing leaders, just as others once did for me. That's what makes the Nursing Now Challenge so special: every generation of young professionals inspires, supports, and empowers the next!"

Biography: Andrés de Juan has been a Registered Nurse since 2023. He completed a Master's Degree in Research Methodologies at the University of Barcelona in 2024 and began his PhD in Medicine and Translational Research at the University of Barcelona in 2025.

He works as a Registered Nurse at Hospital Clínic de Barcelona. His research focuses on healthcare workforce management and healthcare policy, particularly the attraction, transition, and retention of newly graduated nurses to strengthen sustainable health systems.

He has served as Regional Hub Lead of the European Region and since the beginning of 2026 as Challengers' Committee Global Lead, focused on organisational engagement and as an Advisory Board Member. Through these roles, he has represented the nursing profession in high-level international and multidisciplinary forums, contributing to discussions on nursing leadership, health policy, and healthcare workforce sustainability.

Contact Andrés here: adejuan@clinic.cat

"My experience as a student nurse inspired me to follow a lifelong passion to learn, grow and contribute. I strongly believe that student and early career nurses have a lot of potential to contribute to the advancing nursing profession. Nursing not just prepared me to serve within the walls of a hospital, but also in the heart of communities, it bridges the most significant gaps in the healthcare system.

While working as a registered nurse in the hospital, I looked for opportunities of personal and professional growth and in that search I came across the Nursing Now Challenge Committee. I joined Nursing Now in 2024 as a member and then took the role of regional hub lead for the eastern mediterranean region. At present, I serve as a global lead for mentorship, it’s not just a role for me but a lifetime opportunity to contribute globally. While interacting with potential nurse leaders from all across the globe, I feel privileged and once again reminded that leadership is not defined by age or position, it requires a strong motivation to make a difference."

Biography:

Shazia Ali is a passionate early career nurse from Pakistan currently working as a registered nurse in Kuwait under the ministry of health Kuwait. She graduated in 2021 from Pakistan’s top-tier nursing school, the Aga Khan University School of Nursing and Midwifery. She then worked as a medical and surgical ICU nurse for two years before moving to Kuwait.

Her passion for nursing leadership and career advancement begins with her active engagement from her journey as a student nurse. As a student, Shazia has exhibited outstanding leadership skills. She served as a vice president at her university’s leading research society and participated in many national and international conferences. Academic excellence was not the only goal for her, she always wanted to be a powerful voice, representing nurses beyond the walls of the classroom.

Shazia belongs to a beautiful far flung area of Pakistan named Gilgit Baltistan. She believes that growing professions like nursing can fulfil many gaps in the healthcare access to the people in the far flung regions like her own region. She is passionate to contribute to her community and country at large making healthcare accessible through robust and sustainable systems and she strongly believes, nursing can play a significant role.

Shazia is passionate to continue her nursing education and get a PhD in future. She wants to contribute in nursing leadership and education through research, policy and sustainable initiatives.

"I joined the Nursing Now Challenge in my final year of undergraduate nursing studies, and it changed everything. For the first time, I truly understood the potential of nurses to contribute across every space in health. Through this community I found mentors who guided me, sponsors who mentioned me in rooms I could not otherwise access, and peers who became my greatest cheerleaders and pillars. The opportunities I have had, to speak globally, to lead, to conduct research, to advocate, grew from the foundation this community helped me build. That is why I am committed to ensuring that what I have gained reaches more nurses, so that those just starting out feel seen and supported, and those already in our community can keep contributing, mentoring, and lighting the way for the next generation."

Biography: Zipporah Muthoni Iregi is a registered nurse, researcher, and health workforce advocate from Kenya. She holds a BSc in Nursing from Kenya Methodist University and an MSc by Research in Nursing Studies from the University of Edinburgh, where her research explored the transition experiences of newly graduated nurses from education to practice in Kenya.

With experience spanning clinical nursing, health workforce advocacy, research, leadership, and programme coordination across Sub-Saharan Africa and beyond, Zipporah has represented the nursing workforce at local, regional, and global levels, speaking on platforms that champion intentional investment in health workers and the strengthening of health systems. She is deeply passionate about the next generation of health workers and the transformative impact they can make when properly supported and equipped.

Zipporah previously served as Africa Regional Hub Lead for the Nursing Now Challenge before stepping into her current role as Global Lead for Alumni Pathways. In this role she works to develop structured alumni pathways creating meaningful opportunities for alumni to network, collaborate, and share knowledge, while ensuring they remain connected and continue contributing to the wider Nursing Now Challenge community. She is a recipient of the Burdett Trust for Nursing Studentship and is committed to centring the voices and experiences of early-career nurses and midwives in global health conversations.

“It is an incredible privilege to take on the role of Global Lead for Higher Education Institutions and Student Engagement for the Nursing Now Challenge. Nursing is not just a profession you enter; it is a profession you belong to. The journey begins the moment you choose to be part of this profession, long before the day you receive your registration. In this role, I am honoured to connect with and advocate for nurses and nursing students globally, creating spaces where they can develop their professional identity, build meaningful communities, and find their place within the profession. I believe our role is not to empower nurses or nursing students, but to create the environments and opportunities that allow them to recognise their own strengths, empower themselves, and shape the future of healthcare.”

Biography: Darcie O’Connell is an early-career Registered Nurse at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, one of Sydney’s leading tertiary referral hospitals, and an Honours student at the University of Sydney. Her research explores how professional identity and a sense of belonging influence the retention of early-career nurses, with the goal of informing strategies that strengthen and sustain the future nursing workforce.

Passionate about nursing leadership, workforce sustainability, and professional development, Darcie is committed to creating environments where nurses feel valued, connected, and empowered to thrive. During her studies, she held several leadership and representative roles, including Treasurer of the Sydney University Nursing Society, student representative for the Sydney Nursing School, and co-lead of the Sydney Nursing School Green Team, where she championed initiatives that promote a sustainable and forward-thinking nursing profession.

As a recipient of the prestigious Susan Wakil Scholarship, Darcie brings together clinical practice, research, and advocacy to contribute to the future of nursing. Through her work, she is driven to help shape a profession where every nurse feels a strong sense of identity, belonging, and purpose, ensuring the next generation of nurses are supported not only to enter the profession, but to thrive within it and lead its future.