The purpose of the study was to describe the history of the nursing undergraduate program at the University of Brasília, from its founding in 1975, to it´s definite establishment in 1986. Subject depositions and written documents were used as primary sources. The results reveal that the program was created with a delay of 13 years in relation to the original master plan and that, even after its establishment, the program remained for 12 years under the tutelage of the medicine depar tment. There was no prevision for infrastructure, budget endowment or minimum teaching staff, which impaired the development of the program. The program coped with staff shor tage, student drop-out and lack of administrative autonomy. The authors conclude that, in spite of adverse conditions, the nursing teachers were able to circuit the power games and build their own space.
Nursing; Education, Nursing; History of Nursing