The objective of the present study was to describe the process of curricular renovation for the undergraduate Nursing course develop by the Nursing School of Ribeirão Preto, USP, with emphasis on the following planning stage: diagnosis, educational objectives, selection and organization of content, curricular strategies, and curricular evaluation. In view of a diagnosis of current reality based on a philosophical-pedagogic approach which demonstrates the need to train general duty nurses, we present a conceptual framework directed at the view of man, community, health-sickness process, nursing, general duty nurses, competence, and curriculum. We propose a stronger emphasis on the teaching of biological and human sciences in the basic cycle, as well as on administrative aspects in sanitary and hospital activities. This curriculum covers the cycles of preprofessional and professional training to be offered over eight semesters in the undergraduate Nursing course at EERP-USP.
