This is a qualitative research whose objectives were to identify and compare the social representations of nursing care to patients with HIV seropositive to professionals of nursing. The scenario was a public university hospital in Rio de Janeiro and the subject 20 nursing assistants and 20 nurses. The data collection took place through semi-structured and used for its analysis software ALCESTE 4.7. Among the nursing assistants were characterized about the content of the daily nursing care provided to patients with HIV/AIDS, whereas the nurses have content back to their quality of life. Thus it was concluded that the social representation of nursing assistants is anchored in the practical elements of daily care, while nurses anchored in the knowledge reified.