[Nursing laboratory. Organizational and functional history of a university unit]

A historical research was carried out by using Historical Organizational Case Studies. Its objectives were: 1. to investigate and to think about the historical trajectory of the functional structure of the Nursing Laboratory of a public university school; 2. to investigate and consider the present situation emphasizing the development of activities that support the teaching, the research and the community work. Some considerations were made, based on the knowledge of school, concerning the impact caused by the physical, material and human structure that the laboratory has today and its utilization as a support resource to teaching, research and services directed to the community in general.