Introduction

The utilization of the Nursing Process (NP), as a methodology of the discipline which addresses the issues on nursing competences, allows reflexive interventions aimed at solving individual problems and integrally assisting the person, improves the communications, locates the professional scope by identifying the phenomena of interest, and gives a foundation to nursing research. Because of this, the NP constitutes a fundamental part in nursing education.

Objectives

a) To describe the undergraduate students' experiences regarding learning and using the Nursing Process during their academic formation; and b) To identify if the student acknowledges the process as the discipline's methodology to provide healthcare.

Methodology

This is a qualitative phenomenological and descriptive study. Participants were students from the third to the seventh semesters of a baccalaureate nursing program. In-depth interviews focused on how to learn and apply the Nursing Process were carried out. A discourse analysis with codification and decodification was developed until categories emerged.

Results

From the analysis, three categories emerged: a) Different worlds, which included three sub-categories: realizing, linking the theory and practice, and the influence from the nursing professional; b) Theoretical formation, which included two sub-categories: complex learning, and health and illness; c) Ambivalence of the professional while teaching NP, which included two sub-categories: teacher's heterogeneity and incongruity, and teacher's support.

Discussion and conclusion

In addition to the remarks on the differences between the theory and the practice related to NP, some student-nursing staff interactions do not particularly favor learning and utilizing the Nursing Process.