The purpose of this study was to apprehend the nursing students' perceptions about the experience of caring for the surgical patient. Using the qualitative methodology the authors identified the categories: the characterization of the surgical patient, the skills to care, the difficulties to care and the perceptible outcomes of the learning to care. The categories were integrated into the theme "To win the culture of care of the surgical patient". The results evidence the great cultural influence of values, knowledge and believes of surgical nursing met in the practical context and in the literature.
Perception; Nursing student; Nursing care; Patient care