Editorial. Out of Athens, looking forward

Abstract

At the first international congress on paediatric nursing, hosted by The International Paediatric Association (IPA) as part of their 1998 congress meeting in Amsterdam, the nurses there launched the International Association of Paediatric Nurses (IAPN). The Dutch Association of Pediatric Nurses, with the support of the International Pediatric Association (IPA), was highly instrumental in developing the IAPN and subsequently the Paediatric Nursing Association of Europe, which was established in April 2003 as a regional group of the IAPN to encourage collaboration between professional organizations for nurses caring for children and young people in Europe. Prime movers in these initiatives have been JCYPN board members Corry van den Hoed-Heerschop, from the Dutch Association of Paediatric Nursing, and Dr Imelda Coyne, newly appointed associate professor and director of children’s nursing research at Trinity College Dublin. This is highly significant, not only because it demonstrates the growing maturity of a profession dedicated to the care of sick children everywhere, but also because of these individuals’ willingness to actively collaborate with other professionals in the pursuit of this goal.<br/