Who we are
EORNA — the European Operating Room Nurses Association — is the recognised voice of perioperative nursing in Europe. We bring together national operating room and perioperative nursing associations from across the continent, giving perioperative nurses a shared, influential voice at European level.
EORNA isn’t a membership body for individual nurses. It’s a federation: our members are national nursing associations, each representing perioperative nurses in their own country. That structure means EORNA can speak with authority on behalf of the profession across many different healthcare systems, while staying closely connected to what’s actually happening in operating theatres in each member country.
Where we came from
EORNA’s story began in 1981, when a small, informal group of European operating room nurses met in Brighton to organise the first European day for theatre nurses. What started as an enthusiastic but informal network grew steadily through the 1980s, and in April 1992, representatives from 17 countries met in Copenhagen and formally founded the European Operating Room Nurses Association. More than four decades on, that same spirit of European co-operation and shared professional purpose still drives everything we do.
What we stand for
Our purpose has stayed consistent since the beginning: to enhance and develop perioperative patient care across Europe. We do this by:
- Promoting and maintaining a high standard of perioperative patient care — supporting evidence-based practice across Europe’s diverse healthcare systems.
- Being the influential voice of perioperative nurses in Europe — representing the professional interests of operating room and perioperative nurses to European and international bodies.
- Linking and collaborating with relevant European and international organisations — working alongside healthcare organisations, academic institutions and other professional bodies to strengthen the profession.
How we’re structured
EORNA’s Board is made up of representatives from our member associations, meeting twice a year in different member countries to set direction and agree priorities. Day-to-day, six committees carry out EORNA’s work across education, standards, accreditation, congress delivery and communication — each led by a Committee Chair drawn from our member associations. EORNA’s official working language is English.
