This qualitative research aims to analyze the scientific production about "humane health care/nursing", understanding what views on humanization have been developing. A bibliographic survey was carried out, covering the period from the end of the 1950's until today, in the periodicals Revista Brasileira de Enfermagem, Revista Paulista de Hospitais and Texto e Contexto, examining 42 articles, which were then subject to analysis and integrative synthesis. The issue has been developing from a charitable perspective to the current preoccupation with the valuation of health as a civil right, inserted in a political health project. Articles from all decades reveal the need to invest in workers, valuing the subjective dimension. Nevertheless, humanization receives little attention in education. Care humanization supposes the meeting of subjects who share knowledge, power and experiences, implying political, administrative and subjective transformations.
nursing; health services; health care delivery