Introduction: Nursing is a profession in which the main nurses task is patient care and health protection. The main activity of nurse is the care and concern for the treatment of the sick without drugs, and with drugs only under the supervision of a doctor. The purpose of patient health care itself is to achieve health. The purpose of nursing includes the care of dying patients and the care od dying in order to enable them to die with dignity. The beginnings of nursing are linked to Florance Nightingale, who worked in the 19th century, whose wish was to dedicate herself to caring for the sick. The education of nurses in the Republic of Croatia is carried out at three levels: high school, undergraduate and graduate level. Aim: The aim is to show the differences in the attitudes of students studying at the undergraduate nursing program at the University of Zadar and nurses working at the Zadar General Hospital on the perception of nursing. Materials and methods: 130 respondents participated in the reserch. Of which 80 are nurses and technicians employed at Zadar General Hospital and 50 are nursing studentas at the University of Zadar. The measuring insturment used in the reaserch is a survey questionnaire. The first part of the questionnaire refers to general and sociodemographic dana. The second part was made up of a questionnaire on attitudes about nursing. Results: 50 students (38,5%) and 80 nurses/technicians (61,5%) were examined in the research. The predominant gender in the research is female, out of 130 respondents, 111 are female, which is 85,4%. Level of education in reserch is medical high school, 61 of them, or 49,6%. Respondents attitudes were examined using a Likert scale ranging form 1 to 5. Conclusion: Based on the obtained results, it has been proven that the nursing students of the University of Zadar have more positive percepcion towards nursing compared to nurses employed at the Zadar General Hospital.