Research focusing the curricular guidelines for Nursing Faculty in Brazil as approved in 2001 by the Resolution nº 03/2001-CNE. The study aimed at contextualizing and rescueing the historical elaboration process of these guidelines, to discuss the approved content supporting elements to guide the construction of politician-pedagogical projects. Bibliographical sources, documents and interviews were used. Pedagogical principles present in the guidelines were verified; the discussion on the research were aproached; the nursery licentiature degree, the Unique System of Health as focus of the formation and the performance of the United Net. The context of the private higher education and health, the economic changes (financial globalization, the performance of international agencies) had conformed the scenery of changes in the graduation in Brazil in the 90' and beginning of the 21st century.
Nursing, education; Curriculum; Education, higher