'Working together - Achieving more'

The European Federation of Critical Care Nursing Associations (EfCCNa) is a formal network of critical care nursing associations in Europe.

Founded in 1999 it currently (2025) consists of 34 national member associations that represent more than 25.000 European critical care nurses.
In March 2025, during the 10^th EfCCNa Congress in Bologna, Italy EfCCNa will celebrate its 25 jubilee with all attending members of the federation.

Since its inception the mission of the federation has been clear: to promote collaboration and equity among the national critical care member associations in order to improve nursing care of critically ill patients and their families.

EfCCNa provides a unique opportunity for European critical care nurses working as equal partners on the advancement of European critical care practice, education, management and research.

EfCCNa - the powerful and collective voice of critical care nurses in Europe.

• EfCCNa Annual Report 2015
• EfCCNa Annual Report 2016
• EfCCNa Annual Report 2017
• EfCCNa Annual Report 2018/2019
• EfCCNa Annual Report 2020/2022
• EfCCNa Annual Report 2023/2024

To apply for EfCCNa membership download the membership application form

Note: on this side we provide the email addresses of the council members. If you want to contact your national representative please be aware of the safety email format and change (at) to @ in the address field of your mail program.

• To represent critical care nurses and critical care nursing within Europe
• To promote patient and relatives perspectives of the ICU experience
• To promote co-operation and collaboration between European critical care nurses
• To promote the art and science of critical care nursing across the European countries
• To improve the recognition of critical care nursing as a speciality in Europe
• To activly engage in influencing EU social and health care policy as the voice fo critical care nurses in Europe
• To cooperate with other groups of health care professionals, institutions, industry, agencies and charities who have a professional interest in the care of the critically ill
• To establish standards for education, practice and workforce management of critical care nursing
• To promote and further education, research and leadership incritical care nursing  

EfCCNa Strategy until 2030                                                                 

EfCCNa Strategy until 2030 defines the federation’s direction and provides a framework for strategic thinking. It relies on all EfCCNa members (Board, Council representatives and member associations) to ensure its success. Seven Mission Statements are defined. Goals and objectives are written following each mission statement in order to explain how EfCCNa plans to achieve these missions. 

Find the document here

In October 1997 representatives of over twenty European critical care nursing associations met in Rotterdam to discuss the possibility of setting up a federation of critical care nurses. At this first meeting, the broad aims and objectives of a European Federation were established. Two further meetings, in Stockholm and Zagreb, further developed and refined the purpose of the Federation, and established its founding principles of equity and collaboration.
The British Association of Critical Care Nurses (BACCN) is one of the founding member associations of EfCCNa, and has played an instrumental role in its progress and development.

On October 2nd 1999, Berlin: the European Federation of Critical Care Nursing Associations was officially established:

• With a working Constitution
• Elected administrative board
• Council meets twice annually, and is made up of one representative from each member association
• No presidential role
• Meetings are held in a different country every six months
• Host association acts in the chairing role

Since its inception, the motives of the Federation have been to promote equity and collaboration, which is captured in its guiding slogan: Working Together - Achieving More. Twenty two associations from 22 European countries were now members of EfCCNa.
At the autumn meeting in Cambridge 2004 it was decided to make the necessary changes in the constitution and elect board of officers.
At the spring meeting in Slovenia in April 2005, EfCCNa elected to have a new Board to manage the affairs of the Federation and continue to build on the successes of previous pioneers who had the vision of developing a critical care community who would share a common ideology and purpose. The new board consisted of a president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer and a board-member.

At the meeting a profile of the board of officers and the representative was presented and agreed upon.

10^th Anniversary Brochure   

During the 8^th EfCCNa Congress in Ljubljana, Slovenia.

See a presentation from former EfCCNa President Rósa Thorsteinsdóttir, Iceland.