Espen Gade Rolland, RN, MNSc, is President of the Norwegian Nurses Organisation’s
Professional Group for Mental Health and Addiction (NNO‑SPoR) and an Associate Professor
at Lovisenberg Diaconal University College in Oslo. He is an ICN‑certified Global Nurse
Consultant (CGNC) and a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing (FAAN).
In October 2025, Rolland was formally inducted as a Fellow of the American Academy of
Nursing (FAAN), one of the most prestigious honors in global nursing. He is the second nurse
from Norway to join this exclusive international community.
With 24 years of experience as a mental health nurse in Norway, he has held roles as nurse
manager, training specialist, educator, and developer of education programs. Serving for
nine years as President of the Norwegian Nurses Organisation’s Professional Group for
Mental Health and Addiction (NNO‑SPoR), and as a national board member since 2012, he
has made significant contributions to organizational development, collaboration, and
growth. His leadership has had a positive impact on mental health nursing education and policy in
Norway and internationally.
As a member of the International Council of Nurses (ICN) Expert Group for Mental Health
and an ICN‑certified Global Nurse Consultant (specialty: Leadership, Education and Mental
Health Nursing), he has contributed to the development of several ICN documents, including
“The Global Mental Health Nursing Workforce” and “Guidelines on Mental Health Nursing”
(2024) (one of five authors), as well as the World Health Organization publication “Pre-
service Education in Mental Health” (launched April 2025).