The Association was founded in 1914 in Shanghai at its first meeting. In 1932, registration was formally made with the government. At present, the location of the Association is in Taipei City, Taiwan, R.O.C. In 1922, the Association joined the International Council of Nurses. Membership was suspended by the removal of the ROC government to Taiwan in 1949, which has been reinstated since 1961. It was renamed the Taiwan Nurses Association in 1999.
 
The Association operates for the purposes of promoting professional nursing services, improving nursing-related academic research, upgrading standards of nursing education, enhancing the health of all citizens, and enhancing the Association's International Status.

Missions

1. To provide members with the most up-to-date nursing knowledge and skills and enhance nurses' professionalism, nursing knowledge and quality of nursing.To define professional terms related to nursing.
2. To establish nursing standards for each branch of medicine.
3. To formalize ethics of nursing.
4. To establish an approved continuing education system for nursing personnel.
5. To establish criteria for the accreditation of nursing specialists.
6. To promote a variety of nursing related research and development.
7. To improve academic communication and cooperation among members.
8. To explore issues of nursing education and services and to provide suggestions on how to communicate these to educational and health administration authorities.
9. To strengthen relationships, communication and cooperation with nursing counterparts in other countries.
10. In accordance with government policies develop nursing operations in order to enhance the health of citizens and upgrade the quality of their lives.
11. To publish academic periodicals, books and audio-visual aids.
12. To carry out various activities which further the aims of the Association.