The aim in this paper is to discuss the contributions of Bourdieu's Sociology to the study of the subfield nursing. A reflexive research was undertaken. Bourdieu's Sociology constitutes a group of fundamental concepts, among which habitus, field, capital and symbolic power. Generally articulated, these are used in many different knowledge areas, and the first two are considered the central concepts of his theory. This research permitted a better understanding on matters inherent to the nursing subfield, such as the acquisition of cultural capital, which contributes to define the position nurses occupy in the nursing subfield; the power relations among agents in the health field, particularly among physicians and nurses; and evolutionary aspects of the profession, concerning the distinctive conflicts to occupy a prominent position within the health field.
Sociology; Nursing; Professional practice