Hospital malnutrition prevails. Among 105.841 registered nurses in COFEN, 47 are Nutritional Therapy specialists (0,04%). Objectives: to characterize population and to know how and where they are acting, if there is legislation applicability on their practice. Subjects: nurse specialists in Brazil associated to Brazilian Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition. Descriptive study which used an applied questionnaire. Results: Population participation of 57,4%, 85,2% graduated on public schools, on the 80 decade, 59,3%. Fulfilled habilitation 37,4%; on Nutritional Therapy, 3,7%; capacity lato sensu fulfilled by 63% on different areas from Nutritional Therapy; stricto sensu capacity on Nutritional Therapy by 11,1%. Act on hospital 66,7%; direct or indirect on Nutritional Therapy 59,2%, charge as assistance nursing 44,0%. Apply legislation on practice 85,2%. Conclusion: representative population but insignificant for this country demand. It is necessary to investigate who is setting in order to manage Nutritional Therapy.
Nursing; Nutritional therapy; Malnutrition
