Introduction:

From the history of the development of nursing and the collective experiences and imaginary, every person has an initial idea of ​​what nursing is and its role in society. The entrance to the Nursing major is seen as an essential point in the development of disciplinary and professional identity

Objective:

To explore the meanings of the first-year students of the Nursing major, considering the social construction about the profession.

Methods:

Qualitative and descriptive study with a hermeneutical approach. The place of study was a higher education institution in the fourth region of Chile. The sample was intentional and first-year students of the Nursing major were selected (n=32). Data collection was carried out through the focus group method. The validation was carried out by the triangulation of sources and researchers. Content analysis was used.

Results:

A total of four emerging categories were found, namely: 1) nursing care approach; 2) image of the nursing staff; 3) characteristics of the nursing professional; and 4) considerations of the nursing specialist for the delivery of care. The results of the categories were associated with the social stereotype about the profession and the paradigmatic transition of nursing.

Conclusion:

The meanings of the first-year students about nursing move from the historical field to the current setting of the profession, which coincides in the social and transformative aspects.

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