The paper presents previously unknown information about the life and work of Zlata Kalanj, one of the prominent figures of the Croatian Nurses Association between the two world wars. Given the limited research on the history of nursing in Croatia to date, this study not only fills gaps in historical overviews but also provides insight into the life circumstances and professional challenges faced by nurses during the interwar period. : In the Kalanj family, besides Zlata Kalanj, two of her sisters, Helena Kalanj (Sr. Isabella) and Danica Mrđa, were also professionally connected to healthcare institutions and nursing schools. Katica Kalanj graduated from the State High School in Gospić, and according to the sources researched so far, she can be considered the first nurse to graduate from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.