Abstract
The first coronary care units (CCUs) were opened in the 1960s in an attempt to reduce mortality from acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Nurses were closely involved in the development and success of these early units. This paper will provide an overview of the history and development of the CCU, including nurses' crucial involvement in pioneering the first CCUs in the 1960s through to the emerging role of nurses in the care of cardiac patients in the late 1990's.