Advancing Global Competency Frameworks for the Nursing Profession | Sylvia Fung and Ying Zhou | EP#3 - Live from ICN

In this special episode recorded at the 2025 International Council of Nurses Congress in Helsinki, host Lea Sims sits down with Professor Sylvia Fung, President of the Hong Kong Academy of Nursing & Midwifery, and Professor Ying Zhou of Guangzhou Huashang College. Together, they discuss how the nursing profession is evolving in Asia and the critical need for unified global competency standards to guide education, practice, and workforce development.Professor Fung shares her remarkable five-decade journey in nursing—from aspiring architect to midwife, educator, hospital executive, and ultimately Chief Nurse of Hong Kong’s Hospital Authority, overseeing 43 hospitals. Professor Zhou reflects on her own path, starting as a surgical nurse before moving into leadership, teaching, and curriculum development across some of China’s most respected institutions. Both emphasize the value of building the next generation of nurses through mentorship, innovation, and educational reform.The episode explores how nursing in Hong Kong and China has transformed—from skill-based training to comprehensive education focused on clinical judgment, digital health, evidence-based practice, and critical thinking. Professors Fung and Zhou note that nurses today are not only caregivers but also educators, researchers, and policy influencers. Their conversation highlights how the profession has gained visibility and respect, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic, and how it must now adapt to aging populations, tech-driven care, and global mobility.As active contributors to TruMerit’s global nursing competency framework, both guests underscore the importance of standardized benchmarks for training and credentialing. They argue that such a framework is essential for ensuring consistency in care, supporting cross-border workforce planning, and elevating nursing as a globally respected profession.Whether you’re a nurse educator, policymaker, or healthcare leader, this episode provides a powerful look at how global collaboration and competency alignment can shape the future of nursing for generations to come.Listen now at trumerit.org/podcast or on your favorite podcast platform