This study it had as objective to identifythe perception of the students before the work developed with the community, and to argue meaning of the activities carried through for the academics for its professional formation. It was used qualitative boarding and the sample was constituted by 89 students. In the voice of the same ones, the initial expectations to the arrival to the field had been marked not only by the fear to find violence situations but by the desire of being able to contribute in the improvement of the conditions of health of the population. They had meant work the developed in the community as possibility of personal growth, bigger understanding of the professional performance of the nurse and chance to live deeply the work of the nurse of Public Health. Of this form, it is verified relevance of the experiences of the teaching-learning in the community for the process of professional formation of the nursing academics.
Nursing; Community health nursing; Public health; Health education; Students, nursing