The nurse has a fundamental role in the implementation of public health politics in order to guarantee the principles of the health service system for the community in which it is inserted, especially with actions involving health education promotion. This study's aim is to analyze the conceptions of baccalaureate nursing students about the promotion of health education. This qualitative investigation followed all the ethical proceedings and was approved by the University of São Paulo's Committee of research ethics. The study included 13 baccalaureate student nurses in a private institution of higher education in the interior of the State of São Paulo. The data was constructed through two focal groups, one carried out with undergraduates of the day course and the other of the night course. Through the referential of thematic analysis the results were divided into 1. defined concepts in this thematic, the senior nursing students associate the promotion and health education as completing each other and that health should be seen in a more ample way, joining together the various social sectors aiming at collectivity, however, when they are conceived separately they tend to refer to prompt preventative actions; 2. the proposal is to teach the population in this subject the nurse gains distinction in the activities directed towards health education in search of multidisciplinary professionals and intersectorial partnerships to act together in the Health and Social Determinants, through strategies directed towards the populations interests and needs considering the social participation and developing contemplation for maintaining health, even though some activities remain focused on traditional and not dialogued education; 3. leaving the unit all of the spaces inside and outside the walls are considered as possible places to develop activities in health education, becoming relevant to schools, as scholars are taking the knowledge about health in its more ample significance and also because of the necessity of these youths to experience the themes dealt with in a transversal way by the multiprofessional teams; 4. Revisiting academic preparation In this last item, the undergraduates perceive the promotion of health in some of their subjects, with emphasis on the experience acquired in basic health attention services and in the maternity unit in the other areas for practical training the focus is on health counseling in curative care and medication.

Conclusion:

The participants in this investigation see the necessity for an extended focus on health especially in regard to the social determinants, but they do not comprehend the complexities of this process drawn out by the educational references aligned in a liberating pedagogy. The graduation of Bachelors in Nursing is an important strategy for the Brazilian Health Service starting with a concept expansion of health and promotion of health. New studies are necessary in order to analyze the curriculums of Bachelor in Nursing courses, in pursuit of deepening understanding of the questions evidenced in this study