Including nursing history in the training and education of nurses has been encouraged for more than a century. In 2004, Lewenson analyzed the evolution of nursing history content within curricula throughout the 20th century. She described that independent nursing history courses required in 1917 had become sporadic and inconsistently embedded throughout curricula by the turn of the 21st century. The evolution from an independent course to sparse integration resulted as the amount of needed theoretical and clinical content increased (Lewenson, 2004). While the 2008 Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing Practice endorsed a liberal education in the nursing curriculum, there was no mention of history (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2008). Consequently, nurse educators lacked the time and expertise to include nursing history in their courses (Lewenson, 2004). Despite the steady elimination of nursing history from the curricula, the significance and relevance of nursing history for nursing education has not been diminished.

In 2021, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) published “The Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Education” which includes the expectation that curricula include nursing history content. Specific sub-competencies listed in Domain 1: Knowledge for Nursing Practice indicate that students need an understanding of historical foundations of the profession as it relates to the nurse-individual relationship (entry-level), and nursing's influence in health care (advanced-level) (AACN, 2021, p.27). However, the study of nursing history can extend beyond Domain 1. Embedding nursing history throughout the curricula can enhance students' ability to achieve competencies within the other nine domains as well. Thoughtfully placed, history can enlighten every aspect of the nursing profession.

Lewenson (2004) concluded that nurse educators need support and guidance to effectively select and teach relevant historical content within an already saturated curriculum. In 2017, Lewenson, McAllister, and Smith created a content resource for nurse educators with their book, Nursing History for Contemporary Role Development (Lewenson et al., 2017). Nursing education programs could adopt this book and utilize the 11 unique historical case studies to help students understand the relevance of history for nursing and healthcare today. It is unknown how many programs utilize this rich resource, and the case studies only provide a glimpse into nursing's history. The purpose of this article is to provide additional guidance for nurse educators to select and teach historical content. We hope to show that nursing history is relevant in contemporary curricula and in fact, will help students achieve core competencies. Nursing history content goes beyond exposing students to pioneers and icons, such as Florence Nightingale, and beyond specific dates and events in our history. Immersion into a previous time through evidence and artifacts has the power to impact the students' identity, thinking, understanding, and perspective. Integration of nursing history at the course level throughout the curriculum will not only help programs meet the new Essentials but will also enhance the students' preparation for their entry- or advanced-level nurse roles.