The article discusses the educational policies and the supervised curricular internship in the undergraduate nursing course, in addition to the influence of productive restructuring and of the reform of the capitalist State on Brazilian higher education. Because it is a reflective study, the literature on the area and the guidance introduced by the laws concerning the supervised curricular internship and nursing education were used as references. In the historical process of the nursing profession, the care with the professional practice and the possible modes of appropriation of this professional identity are under the limelight. Thus, the internship is seen as an essential part of the training process; the skills required of the nurse can be learned through it. The supervised curricular internship should not be seen merely as a requirement of the capitalist world, as it is possible to train a nurse who can reflect on his or her material conditions of existence using the reflective practice in linking teaching and work.
internship; nursing; education policies