The purpose of this exploratory study was to verify the problem of nursing aides professionalization and to analyze the offer of courses and demand regarding technical level capacitation at the state of São Paulo, Brazil. Data were obtained through the analysis of documents on professional capacitation in the area in the 1990s. Authors identified a scenario of conceptual and political changes regarding the professionalization and the existence of a great number of aides being professionalized. They also verified a tendency to increase the offer of courses and the demand regarding the capacitation and specialization at the technical level.
nursing technical education; nursing staff; health professions
