The IFNA was founded in 1989, by 11 countries with a specific nurse anesthesia education programme.  It currently has 43 country members.  The IFNA is an international organisation representing nurse anaesthetists and dedicated to the advancement of educational standards and practices which advance the science of anaesthesiology and enhance quality anaesthesia care worldwide.  The IFNA has developed Standards of Education, Practice and a Code of Ethics for Nurse Anesthetists.  Models of Nurse Anesthesia programme curriculum have been prepared by the Education Committee.  IFNA is now an Affiliate member to ICN [International Council of Nursing].  The IFNA hosts the World Congress of Nurse Anesthetists [WCNA] every four years in different locations throughout the world where all perianaesthesia nurses benefit from excellent presentations and the chance to share ideas about practice with our international colleagues.  The next Congress is in Sibenik, Croatia in 2022.

BARNA became the official UK representative to the IFNA in 1995.  In 2016 BARNA hosted the excellent 12th WCNA in Glasgow.  Manda Dunne is the UK representative to IFNA and is a member of the Executive Committee. 
List of previous Congresses 
2018 : Budapest, Hungary
2016 : Glasgow, Scotland