This study aimed to comprehending the meaning of ecological care from the point of view of students and teachers of the health area of a Public Institution of Higher Education. It was an exploratory qualitative research conducted by the method of the Theory Based on the Data, for which ten in depth interviews were carried out between September/2008 and April/2009, distributed in two sample groups. The process of data collection and analysis culminated with the formulation of the theory "Viewing ecological care as a broad and complex phenomenon", which was discussed through the view of complexity. One concluded that the academic environment is constituted by an appropriate space for the development of the systemic abilities, capable of contemplating the relations, interactions and necessary associations for the comprehension and promotion of the environmental sustainability.
Ecology; Health; Nursing; Human resources formation; Sustainable development
