The aim of this study was to analyze the social representations structures about "being nurse" of 430 nursing students of five private educational institutions of Belo Horizonte-MG, created between 2003 and 2004. The data collection occurred using free evocation techniques; the data were processed by the software EVOC (2003 version) and analyzed by the four house board technique. The central nucleus elements were caring and responsibility, while peripheral elements were management, professionalism, work, realization, attention and respect. Those results show that the nursing historical load still persists, shaping the profession into a specific knowledge and work, linked to feelings and behaviors influenced by human, ethical and religious aspects.
Nursing; Nursing Students; Nursing School; Social Psychology
