The purpose of this thesis is to review the changing roles of perioperative nursing from 1873 to the present. This review describes the yesterday, the today, and the tomorrow of the perioperative nurse. The yesterday of the perioperative nurse depicts the history and the evolution of perioperative nursing. The today of perioperative nursing is a description of the present role of this nursing specialty in society. The tomorrow is the trends and predictions for the future of perioperative nursing. All of these phases show the changing roles of perioperative nursing.