Why turn to the past when attempting to build nursing's future? To make good decisions in planning nursing's future in the context of our complex health care system, nurses must know the history of the actions being considered, the identities and points of view of the major players, and all the stakes that are at risk. These are the lessons of history. - from the Introduction. This book presents nursing history in the context of problems and issues that persist to this day. Issues, such as professional autonomy, working conditions, relationships with other health professionals, appropriate knowledge for education and licensure, gender, class, and race are traced through the stories told in this volume. Each chapter provides a piece of the puzzle that is nursing. The editors, all noted nurse historians and educators, have carefully made selections from the best that has been published in the nursing and health care literature.