This is a study of the scientific process of Brazilian nursing, which includes the formation of generational groups holding the scientific habitus, and the construction of the nursing scientific field. It aims to characterize the generations of Brazilian nursing researchers and to discuss the dynamics of the nursing scientific field. Karl Mannhein`s e Sirinelli`s concepts of generation, and Pierre Bourdieu`s concepts of habitus and field are adopted as theoretical references. This is a social-historical study. The results were classified into five generations of Brazilian nurse researchers: the "pioneers", from the 1950`s; the "self-taught", from the 1960`s; the "academics", from the 1970`s and 1980`s; the "systematic and collective production" generation initiated at the end of the 1980`s and beginning of the 1990`s; and finally, the generation of "researchers with international scientific production" which appeared in the mid 1990`s. We conclude that the process of making Brazilian nursing scientific occurred according to the generational characteristics of the scientific community and on the symbolic struggles which occurred in the field of Brazilian nursing.
History of nursing; Nursing; Researches
