This study has the objective of analzying the social representation structure of professional authonomy. It is a qualitative research based on Social Representations and developed with 83 nurses in a city of Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil. In order to collect data it was used free evocation to expressions like professional authonomy and nursing and to analyse them EVOC software was used. The nucleous of representation to authonomy expression is build by knowledge, achievement and responsibility, whereas in nursing expression it is possible to observe love and dedication. It can be notice the presence of representational dimensions connected to the person of the professionals and to their feelings. It can be concluded that exposed representational structures show an achievement process of professional authonomy.
Professional authonomy; Professional role; Social psichology
