Considering that it's always a good idea to know where we've come from, in order to better envision where we're going, it's appropriate to look at the evolution of the relationship to care by following the thread of nurses' professional construction and the concomitant transformation of practices. Indeed, if we are to approach the discipline of nursing with serenity, we must first identify the key to its cultural heritage, which defines the way it comes into contact with illness at the patient's bedside.