Nursing in the world has developed exponentially in the past few decades, and Croatia is no exception as one of the Eastern European Countries. This paper will attempt to outline the main changes that have been central to nursing education evolution in the country, and how nursing has developed as an profession and intellectual discipline. This discussion paper examined journal articles, books and legislative documents that documented the development of nursing education and profession in Croatia. In the past three decades nursing in Croatia has been characterized by a series of changes leading to its professionalization. The Croatian Nursing Act has been established, nurses have defined their competencies, and a regulatory body and vertical education up to the highest levels has been set up. Croatian nursing profession has made significant progress in its development. The main challenges are related to nurse shortages and poor working conditions e.g. overtime work, low salaries, decreased nursing autonomy and the impossibility of working in the full scope of practice. Besides, the image of nurses in society still needs to be improved to achieve the level of more recognized health professions. •Nursing education development is related to the environmental and social conditions.•Nursing development determinants are crucial to nursing education standardization.•High level of nursing education is indispensable for professional independence.