[Profile of the brazilian nursing student]

Because the Author believes in the importance of keeping up to date information on demographic data, socio-economical origin, curriculum, present economic situation, request for scholar development, aspiration and information about carer expectation, that caracterize nursing students, and may furnish elements to improve programs and methods of clinical practice, this research was performed in 1976 withe the sole objetive of obtaining these data. It is a descriptive - type of study and the data were collected through the application of a 39 - item - questionnaire applied to 150 (1973) and 300 (1976) third grade students of Nursing Schools of the State of São Paulo. Therefore the student profile that was obtained through this research shows emergency of correlated problems, that interfere directly on scholar efficiency. Trying to solve them within our nursing teaching boudaires seems to be more realistic. The way to try solving them requires from nursing educators efforts in order to search for and determine more adequate teaching methods and techniques. This task is of the utmost urgency in one has in mind the need of promoting efforts to increase students profits and a result of it, more efficient professionals in the future.