Since the first fights against the Spanish colonialism, many women offered their services as nurses. Many of them were sisters, wives, mothers and daughters of those fighters.

They were freedom fighters and nurses. One of them was Isabel Rubio, of Pinar del Rio western province, who received the rank of Captain in the Medical Body for her countless services in the jungle.
When the US intervention took place the military government began the organization of the Public Health to improve the health of the troops and founded the School of Nurses in the Hospital Reina Mercedes, under the direction of one of the North American nurses that arrive at Cuba, Miss O’Donnell.

In the first two years of military occupation, Schools of Nurses were founded in all the hospitals of the provincial capital, with a syllabus for three years. US nurses were named as superintendents.

Each new school had a technical body of nurses, which under the superintendent's guide, helped to the formation of the young students. Between 1902 and 1904 all the syllabus in the Schools of Nurses began to be applied in with uniformity.

In 1902, for glory of Cuba, the first seven nurses graduated and received their certificates on September 23. Ms. Trinidad Cantero was the most excellent student and received a gold medal.

Later on, the National Association of Nurses was founded in 1909. The first president was Margarita Nuñez. Cuban nurses were then promoted to the positions of superintendents who substitute to their US homologous in the different hospitals.

With the victory of the Revolution, the syllabus of infirmary changed completely. They acquire bigger quality and the infirmary service extends to the whole country.

The nurses began to participate to in international missions and to the specialized services. The Cuban Society of Infirmary was created In 1976 for the training of those professionals. The first university graduation in Infirmary took place in 1980.

Source: http://www.ucmh.sld.cu/rhab/historicas_rev5.htm