Nursing societies in Santa Catarina state (1975-2018).

Objectives: to understand nursing representative entities' articulations and the influence on nursing.

Methods: a qualitative study of a historical-social approach with a conceptual framework by nurse Denise Elvira Pires de Pires. With a historical profile from 1975 to 2018, five former presidents of Brazilian Nursing Association - Santa Catarina Section and Regional Nursing Board of Santa Catarina were interviewed. The methodology for understanding data was through Bardin's content analysis.

Results: the board structuring and performance generated changes in the relations between the two entities and debate about the role and power of representation of each one. There were periods of approach and removal, with consequences for professional representation effectiveness.

Conclusions: nursing valuation and recognition as a profession in society has a strong influence on entities' performance that represent it. The union of them, politically or organizationally, is necessary and urgent.