686FDC4 - The Icelandic Nurses' Association – 100th Anniversary

The first professional organisation for Icelandic nurses was founded November 18th 1919 was initially called the Association of Women Nurses. Its purpose was to establish a nursing college in Iceland. There were no trained Icelandic nurses and the first nurses in Iceland were Danish. Many women went abroad for training and a Nursing College was established in 1931. Since 1986 nursing has been taught at university level. 

In 1960 when the first men had graduated as nurses, the name was changed to the Nursing Association of Iceland; the job title was changed to registered nurse in 1975 and is legally protected. A special association was established in 1978 for academic nurses but in 1994 these two associations merged and became the present Association of Icelandic Nurses. The association is a professional and trade organisation and its purpose is to work towards improving public health in Iceland by encouraging effective nursing and better health service. Its members number little less than 4000. Elsa Nielsen designed the stamp which refers to the present uniform of nurses and to an older uniform designed in the style dictated by fashion in the 1920s.