It’s essential that nurses and midwives have the support they need to achieve universal healthcare, which is why the Nursing Now Challenge plays such an important role. As part of the Challengers’ Committee we’re devoted to changing the status quo by developing future nurse leaders.

Each and everyone of us has the opportunity to make a difference, this is why we must give the best of us day by day.

Stephanie started as a new graduate nurse in the year 2017, as a transplant nurse, certified in transplant and med-surge, and promoted through the clinical ladder at Weill Cornell: NYP. She graduated with her MSN in Feb 2023 at Columbia University in Advanced Clinical Management and Leadership. She was awarded the Rising Star award of Nursing Clinical Excellence in 2019. She became the chair of the EBP/ Committee and Healthy Nurse of Operations, as well as Nursing Board representative for the enterprise prior to her nursing leadership role. Stephanie in her spare time is a transition to practice coach and lead for mentoring new graduate nurses. Her first leadership job was managing the hemodialysis/ Apheresis and inpatient acute rehabilitation center in Dec 2021. She completed several IRB studies and published a chapter in Nurturing Leadership Growth in a Millennial Clinical Nurse: A Blueprint Through Mentoring. In: Mentoring in Nursing through Narrative Stories Across the World. Stephanie also is a human centered nurse leader currently a co-lead for two Quality and Patient Safety Goals for the hospital and enjoys mentoring nurses and volunteering in the community on her spare time. Stephanie wished to take her experiences to the global world of nursing and joined the Nursing Now Challengers Committee in 2023.

This pandemic showed to nurses themselves what kind of professionals we are and the power we have to improve health, and the power we could have to influence policy. I'm taking part of the Challengers' Committee because we need to stay together as a big International team, creating the best conditions and occasions to influence health policies and having a voice to the right tables. As an Italian Nurse and working in an example of a country which does not recognise and invest in healthcare workers, I will try to bring in my country into this international project together with our NNA and have the occasion to confront and collaborate with other colleagues, putting our best together and achieving the same goal: work with health employers around the world to create leadership development opportunities.

What do I hope we will achieve? More investment in nursing and midwifery leaders of tomorrow, which means giving a big and real opportunity to them to sit at the right table, have a voice and start this real change, aware of their professional identity and ask the institution for support, protection and investment. Having leadership roles means also having a voice in work conditions decisions and we need that to achieve our full potential. It’s a matter of leadership: if nurses and midwives are well equipped, the more they will keep leadership roles, the more they can change the misconception surrounding their profession. Everybody must know and understand, not only in moments of crisis like pandemics, that without nurses there is no health and with leadership roles we can develop a system based on right conditions and values, the right number of nurses in working environments, better salaries and working conditions like staffing standards, advanced and specialties competencies, training in all the countries with European and international standards, investment in research, training and in leadership roles, at local, regional and national level.

Lincoln Gombedza graduated from Keele University as a Learning Disability Nurse and is now a multi-award-winning Learning Disability (LD) Nurse and Practice Educator at North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust. He is actively involved in working with partners across the NHS and beyond, bringing AI (Artificial Intelligence) and digital technologies into healthcare practices. He has collaborated successfully with NHS Digital Decision-Making Council, Nursing and Midwifery Council, Speakers for Schools, CHIME International, Foundation of Nursing Studies, Florence Nightingale Foundation, Sigma Nursing, Daisy Foundation, and has been invited to speak at conferences and events such as Digital Rewired 2023, International Daisy Day Conference Why Nurses and Midwives Stay? And CHIME CIO Summit. Lincoln has demonstrated excellent collaboration and leadership skills that have led to measurable, data-driven improvements in healthcare. He has promoted the use of AI and digital technologies and his speaking opportunities have helped to accelerate their adoption.
He was the first student nurse to join NHS Digital Shared Decision-Making Council and proposed innovative ideas such as empowering nurses to be innovators, leverage low code such as Microsoft Power Platform. He has also volunteered with the "Speakers for Schools and program and reached over 300 pupils through community outreach, inspiring many of them to consider a future in healthcare. Moreover, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Lincoln played a crucial role in the adoption of digital healthcare solutions. He supported telehealth and virtual consultations, making sure that over 10,000 patients received continuous care during the peak of the pandemic. A key part of this digital transformation was working with other industry professionals to improve the quality and accessibility of these virtual healthcare services.

I have always been a very striving person and the same on my academic performance as well as on my professional aspect.

I have really high hopes for myself as well as for the organisation to achieve impressive milestones and help the people in every way possible, contribute to the greater good.

Tsung-Po Huang, originally from Taiwan, has dedicated himself to the field of healthcare. With three years of experience as a registered nurse in a medical centre, he has demonstrated compassion and expertise in patient care. Additionally, Tsung-Po Huang is a certified aromatherapist, blending traditional and holistic approaches to healing.

Currently pursuing a master's degree in nursing with a specialisation in education, Tsung-Po Huang is committed to empowering future generations of healthcare professionals. His passion lies in investigating how individuals' lived experiences shape and are shaped by their embodiment of health and illness, thus contributing to society through research aimed at improving healthcare practices and outcomes.

By being part of the Nursing Now Challenge Challengers’ Committee, I will be empowered to work with colleagues globally to challenge the status quo and advocate for better recognition and working conditions for nurses and midwives , particularly in Eastern Mediterranean Regional Countries. I am hopeful that this collaboration and committee will help us to bring a global change through different innovative means by bringing nurses to the policy table, creating better opportunities and professional recognition.

I joined the Challengers' Committee to help strengthen the capacities of young nurses and midwives across the globe, provide leadership skills, advocate for nurses and provide mentorship to young nurses, and also find innovative ways to support the nursing profession. As a challenger I am committed to empowering young nurses and to prepare young nurse leaders that are able to handle leadership positions at their home country and influence their health systems, also to achieve greater engagement of nurses in global health and innovations.

Zipporah Iregi is a Registered Nurse with five years of experience in advocacy and communication geared towards Health Workforce and System Strengthening. She is currently working with AfyaReach to coordinate and support the training of Community Health Promoters in Kirinyaga County, Kenya.
Over the past 5 years, Zipporah has been at the forefront of advocating for the Healthcare Worker and Universal Health Coverage. She has spoken at several Nursing and Global Health Events including the White House Covid-19 Summit, Switchpoint Exchange, and World Hospital Congress, utilizing her platform to speak on supporting healthcare workers to get fair pay, adequate PPE, and the investment in training, recruiting, and research. She was awarded the Global Nursing Now Challenge Advocacy and Communication award in 2022 for her work and efforts.
Following her passion for nursing leadership and mentorship, she was one of the founding members of the Kenya Students and Novice Nurses (KESNNUR), a leadership training, and professional development program for student and novice nurses in Kenya. The program has now grown to reach over 3,000 nursing students in over 15 institutions around Kenya.

Dr Maurine Rofhiwa Musie an Advanced Midwife specialist, Senior Midwifery lecturer
and Clinical programme manager in the Nursing Sciences Department, University of
Pretoria, South Africa. Profiled as Youngest Women in Science (STEM) under the
category Youngest Scientist. Also, recently bestowed an award of being the
Youngest PhD holder in the Nursing Sciences Department, University of Pretoria and
by the National Research Foundation (NRF) in 2023. In 2015 she was the first
African student to be awarded Cum Lauda in Bachelors degree of Nursing Sciences.

Dr M Musie has demonstrated an unwavering passion for her chosen Midwifery field
of study and has consistently displayed a high level of expertise and innovation.
Beyond her research accomplishments, Dr Musie has been an exemplary mentor
and role model for aspiring young women scientists. Through various outreach
programs, workshops, and talks, she has encouraged and inspired the next
generation of female scientists to pursue their passions and overcome challenges in
the male-dominated field of science. She is a finalist for Woman in Nursing
Education, Woman of Stature awards in South Africa (WOSA) 2024. She was also a
recipient of the Overall winner in Young Researcher category: Emergent Research

Excellence Award at the University of Pretoria in 2021-2023. She represents South
Africa at the Nursing Now Global Research Challenge of the Burnett Trust of
Nursing. She was appointed in Board of Director, Secretary Sigma Thetha Tau
International, Chi-Xi chapter.

Her research focus is on developing an innovative and hybrid training programme for
continuing professional development (CPD) for midwives to managed obstetrical
emergencies and complications which is one of the global targets to attain the
Sustainable developmental goals. The project fosters policy development,
collaborative efforts with fellow researchers, both nationally and internationally,
fostering an environment of cooperation and knowledge exchange that enriches the
scientific community.