This exploratory-descriptive study funded on historical method aimed at identifying female participation in the social transformations arising out of the Americanization process in Brazil, post-1930. For this purpose, Maria Rosa Sousa Pinheiro's trajectory is presented. Data used for analysis were collected through documents found in the archives of the Historical-Cultural Center for Iberian-American Nursing. Such data allowed for recognizing the person in focus who acted decisively towards the reconfiguration of the art and science of care in Brazil. The results permit us to affirm that nursing helped to disseminate the ideals of the American way of life as the model for professional education and practice from countries like Canada and the United States. This research suggests that the role of Maria Rosa Sousa Pinheiro embodies the spread of a new representation of women within social and labor spheres.
Women; Nursing history; Nursing schools