The objective of this descriptive, exploratory study with a qualitative approach was to analyze the conceptions of Brazilian nursing undergraduates about health education and its subjects and agents. It was developed in the Undergraduate Nursing Courses of the Federal University of Santa Maria and the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The research participants were enrolled in their last semester before graduation. Data was collected using a semi-structured interview and submitted to thematic content analysis. The results suggest that health education work is permeated by conceptions that blend traditional and enlarged health education assumptions, although the former are more prevalent. Through this study, one perceives the dominance of conceptions which focus on biomedical knowledge translated through curricular experiences guided by preventive actions that emphasize technical and scientific knowledge and individual behavior changes.
Health education; Health promotion; Education, nursing