The California Nurses Association (CNA), originally the California State Nurses Association (CSNA), was founded in 1903 as a state chapter of the American Nurses Association (ANA). The CNA was originally organized into districts. These included District 37 - San Mateo County Nurses Association (SMCNA) and District 9 - San Francisco Nurses Association (SFNA) originally the San Francisco County Nurses Association (SFCNA). The 1970s saw a reorganization of the CNA into a regional structure. Districts 37 and 9 were combined into Region 12 - Golden Gate Nurses Association.

Between 1903 and 1995 the SMCNA and SFNA served as the professional organizations for their respective counties. Both district associations organized and ran a Nursing Registry for their county. The registry served as a hiring hall and staffing agency, connecting both Registered Nurses (RNs) and Licensed Vocational Nurses (LVNS) with both hospital and private nursing assignments.

The registries did not serve as licensing or credentialing agencies. Formal certification of Registered Nurses was enacted by the California State Legislature in 1905. The University of California Board of Regents was the first entity to given the power "to set standards, administer exams, approve educational programs, and issue certificates." In 1913 these tasks were given to the newly created Bureau of Registration of Nurses under the state Board of Health Bureau. The name of this agency and the governmental department to which it reports has changed several times throughout the years. In 1975 it received its current name, California Board of Registered Nursing.

In 1995, the CNA severed ties with the American Nurses Association over strategic and philosophical differences. CNA then dedicated itself to working on labor issues such as establishing collective bargaining, increasing wages, mandating 40 hour work weeks, and overtime pay.

The American Nurses Association (ANA) also remains represented in California through the American Nurses Association California (ANA\C), which sees its mission as "optimiz[ing] nursing contribution to health and wellbeing of individuals, families, and communities ... [through] promot[ing] professional development, conduct and use research, influenc[ing] public policy, and enhanc[ing] professional practice environments. The ANA functions as a professional organization and approximately half of their state and territorial constituent associations also serve as collective bargaining units.