Legislation founds and extinguishes not only rights and duties but the own institution. Therefore it is important to know the Law, even more, if it is the own professional legislation. Beyond this the Brazilian Civil Code and the Penal Code decree that ignorance or wrong understanding of Law are not excuse of no fulfillment of Law.
The author analyses the historical evolution of legislation in teaching area at undergraduate level and some aspects of the graduate courses in Nursing. She describes the present situation of th general Nursing course, in accordance to Governmental Judgement 163/72 of Federal Council of Education which establishes habilitacion in Medical-Surgical, Obstetrical and Public Health Nursing. The author proposes establisment of habilitation also in Psychiatric and in Paediatric Nursing.