The present paper explores some current aspects of the nurse's and nursing involvement in the formulation of health policy. Ways for the operationalization of such a role are discussed under the focus of an analysis of the nurse's participation in the Conselhos Minicipais de Saúde (CMS) of Santa Catarina up to 1992, including a historical description of the health workers integration to the sectorial policy. The theoretical framework of the present analysis was the organizational concepts for coordination between citizen participation and public administration. The documental survey, extracted from secondary sources, points to a low incidency of nursing participation in the CMSs as health professionals representatives. The importance and opportuness for increasingt such a participation are discussed.