Given recent changes in the organization of the primary health care in Brazil, it is necessary to reflect on the contributions of nursing care. This article aims to review the concepts of autonomy and health needs and its applications in different proposals for the systematization of the nursing care. It is a literature review on systematization of the nursing assistance, autonomy and health needs in databases LILACS and BDENF. The most relevant results indicate that autonomy incorporates aspects professional and patient's that are sustained by their respective categories. About needs we found that tracks biological needs and social needs, which intersect with the psychological to cover biopsychosocial needs. It was found that the application of the concepts was not present in classification systems of nursing. However, they were more related to International Classification of Nursing Practice (ICNP) and International Classification of Nursing Practice in Collective Heath (ICNPCH) projects.
Public health nursing; Primary health care; Health services needs and demand; Nursing process
