Abstract
At the time of writing I was attending the 4th Congress of the Croatian Nurses Association in Zagreb, the theme of which was ‘Nursing: the scope of differences’. A congress provides an opportunity for nurses and others to come together to debate and discuss areas of common concern and interest as well as areas of difference. Their congress offered some new perspectives and provided opportunities for critical discussion and reflection. Different perspectives on nursing practice, policy, leadership, education and research were shared by colleagues from Croatia, other parts of Europe and the USA. We learnt that there are 27 different languages, over 4 million nurses and many differences in approaches to nurse education in Europe. Any assumptions we might have had that Europe is homogeneous, with a common culture, politics and history, and perhaps ethics, were challenged. Conversations with nurses in Croatia confirmed that they are highly motivated to overcome challenges as they develop the profession. The courage and commitment of Croatian nurses is illustrated by the achievements of Branka Rimac, President of the Croatian Nurses Association. Branka continues to overcome past divisions and differences by bringing together nurses in Croatia and elsewhere to work towards a common goal. Readers may remember that she was one of the recipients of the 2009 Nursing and Human Rights Awards.