A major new parliamentary report, which argues that a global investment in nursing will bring benefits beyond healthcare, includes submissions from Edinburgh academics. The report Triple Impact says that strengthening nursing will have three positive effects: improving health, promoting gender equality and supporting growth. More influence Dr Aisha Holloway and Professor Pam Smith from the School of Health in Social Science provided evidence to the report published by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Global Health. They argue that the nursing profession struggles to influence relevant policy. I was delighted to provide written evidence alongside my colleague Professor Pam Smith. We believe that globally nurse leadership faces challenges in terms of its visibility, credibility and ability to influence and shape evidence based health and social care policy within the political arena and across governments. This report cannot be ignored. There is an imperative to work together with the support of our politicians, policy-makers and non-nursing health leaders. Today is that day. Dr Aisha HollowayProgramme Director for the Masters in Advancing Nursing Practice Recommended actions The report calls on politicians, non-nursing health leaders and policy makers to make the changes needed to fully utilise nurses - the largest part of the healthcare workforce - in the push to achieve universal health coverage. Recommendations include increasing the number of nurses being educated and employed globally, making nursing central to health policy, and promoting partnerships between the UK and other countries. The publication was launched at the UK Parliament in Westminster on 17 October 2016. Publication date 17 Oct, 2016
