The aim of this work is to specify the idea of nursing care and show its manifestations in the future and nowadays with a special stress put on its missionary, timeless character. This work deals with the notion of care, especially nursing care, in historical terms, focusing primarily on the problem of defining nursing care basing on the most important theoretical works – by Florence Nightingale, Virginia Henderson and Dorothy Orem. The article is based on material from scientific magazines, academic textbooks and thematic sources comprised in the References section.

Key words: nursing care, nursing care theories, the idea of mercy, holistic approach.