The purpose of this study was to reconstruct the history of nursing education in Brazil since the creation of the School Alfredo Pinto, in 1890 to the present day. A literature review was carried out, reporting curricular changes in nursing education in Brazil, at that time until the present, and its laws. The analysis of history allowed to understand the events that occurred in a critical and reflective. Finally one can see that historically, there is a long way yet to be unveiled.