This paper presents the historical development of nursing in the world and in Croatia, as well as the development and definition of the nurses' professional identity. Nursing was built on the basis of care for the helpless, the poor and the abandoned, and the tradition of nurturing the sick and the wounded. Modern nursing began to develop in the 19th century as a moral practice of patient care, and in the second half of the 20th century it affirmed itself as an occupation. As a profession, nursing requires a strict education with the need for further work on autonomy, and the possibility of complex postgraduate education. Basic knowledge of nursing involves empirical knowledge, personal knowledge, ethical knowledge, and nursing skills that are changing and evolving in accordance with social and scientific progress. The need for improving communication skills and the importance of the moral and ethical responsibility towards the patient, his associates and towards himself has been emphasized. One of the aspects of the professional identity of a nurse is a visual identity that is primarily determined by the look of a uniform. The paper presents a historical review and a review of the current situation in which this aspect of identity gradually disappears. In order to achieve professionalization of nursing, it is necessary to transform it, which includes a high level of high-quality knowledge and skills, with the need to continue to raise awareness of the importance of compassion and care in patient care.