Objective To identify the core competencies for anesthesia nurses to fulfill the scope of practice for anesthesia nursing in China. Methods The draft of core competencies of anesthesia nursing was made with theoretical analysis, literature review, expert semi-structured interview and behavioral event interview, and the ultimate content of core competencies of anesthesia nursing was established by Delphi method. Results There were two rounds of Delphi consultation, with 20 experts involved. The effective rate of questionnaire was 100%, the creditability value was 0.84, and the P value of coordination coefficient test was less than 0.05. There were 60 recommendations from the experts, and 51 were accepted. The content of core competencies of anesthesia nursing was ultimately established, including 3 dimensions, 14 items and 43 indexes. Conclusion The core competencies of anesthesia nursing is established for the first time in China, the scope concentrates on the direct anesthesia nursing care, and the content focuses on not only the knowledge and skills, but also the attitude.