To the International Council of Nurses (ICN),

We respectfully propose that Alex Jeffrey Pretti, Registered Nurse, Minneapolis, be awarded the ICN Health and Human Rights Award posthumously.

Alex Pretti acted in a moment of acute danger as a nurse in the deepest sense of the profession. He placed himself protectively in front of people in distress and thereby embodied what the ICN Code of Ethics defines as the core of nursing: the protection of human dignity, responsibility towards vulnerable individuals, and commitment to the right to health and safety.

His actions reflected a professional ethos shared by nurses worldwide: to be present when others are threatened, helpless or in need – even when this entails personal risk. In that moment, Alex Pretti did not merely offer help; he made visible what nursing truly stands for: a profession that assumes responsibility for people when it matters most.

By honouring Alex Pretti with the Health and Human Rights Award, the ICN would send a powerful signal:
for nursing as a human rights profession,
for the binding nature of the ICN Code of Ethics in real-life situations,
and for recognising those nurses who do not only articulate these values, but live them.

We respectfully ask the ICN to consider this proposal and to honour Alex Jeffrey Pretti accordingly.