Ep #37: Spotlighting the IFNA – A Global Anesthesia Community

The International Federation of Nurse Anesthetists is celebrating 30 years as an organization in 2019 and we had the chance to spend some time with four current board members and one past president. During this episode, we had the chance to talk about the IFNA’s history, its mission, where it hopes to go in the future, and much more.

Check out the full show notes by clicking here.----more----

Today's rundown: 

1:54 – Introducing today’s topic on the International Federation of Nurse Anesthetists         

2:09 – Welcome in our IFNA guests to the show.

2:28 – Some history on IFNA and how it formed from Sandy Oullette

5:15 – President Jackie Rowles introduces today’s panel: 1st VP Ingrid Andersson, Treasurer Zorica Kardos, and Executive Committee member Gye Seon Jeong

5:58 – Andersson shares the value of IFNA to her Swedish national organization.  

7:16 – Similar practices between US and Sweden.

9:15 – Gye Seon Jeong on her experience with IFNA in Korea 

14:10 – How many nurse anesthetists in Korea?

15:40 – Zorica Kardis from Slovenia joins the show to share her experiences.

16:40 – The challenges of being the treasurer of an international organization.

18:43 – The number of CRNAs in Slovenia and how their practice compares to the US.

20:05 – How the IFNA supports the growth within individual countries.  

21:15 – 107 countries reported nurses provide nurse anesthesia and we have 43 country members.

21:48 – What IFNA is doing to grow and expand the organization.  

22:55 – What are the greatest accomplishments of the IFNA?

26:33 – Where is the focus for the IFNA in the future?

28:49 – Each guests shares their best memory of IFNA

43:54 – Sandy Oullette shares a funny story.

46:27 – Jacky shares some closing comments on IFNA.