Introduction Occupational Health Nursing aims at securing the health, safety and well-being of the workforce. The purpose of this presentation is to introduce the origin of specific education for the occupational health nurses, which fell into oblivion by this time.

Methods The research method was a holistic data gathering in which printed and online available archival, literature, legal sources and press-material between 1883 and 1950 were explored. A search of the electronic databases was concluded, using the keywords ‘nursing’, ‘history’, ‘education’ and ‘teaching’. Content analysis using bibliometric and historical research methods on available documentation sources.

Results The idea of the training of Industrial Welfare Nurses developed by Dr Mária Baloghy (1895–1970?) secondary school teacher. The first factory-nurse course has been started in 1933 in Budapest, Hungary. Participants of the course had to suit strict admission requirements. The two-years full-time (45 hours/week) training covered four major fields: health, social, legal and cultural studies. The Minister of Industry supported the development of the institutional system of factory nurses from 1935. There are data available with reference to the uninterrupted existence of training until 1945; according to these more than 150 women obtained a qualification. Requirements of taking up an OH nurse job were regulated by law from 1941.

Conclusion It has been stated that OH nurse education has an 85-year-old history in Europe that throw new light upon theories until now about origin of OH nursing education.