Objective:

To identify the ways surgical Nurses acquire their knowledge and competence.

Methods:

Descriptive qualitative study of an exploratory nature, through semi-structured interviews with six surgical nurses. The data gathered were codified and analyzed using MAXQDA v.18.1 software.

Results:

The practice, training, experience, intuition and fellowship are concepts related to the acquisition of knowledge of the Nurses. The scope of development of each of them is different in relation to the level of competence, competent, efficient or expert.

Conclusions:

The protocol of acquiring practical knowledge in the surgical block is a dynamical and flexible process, that relies on several sources of knowledge. Fellowship stands out as a key factor of obtaining information, solving problems, and providing the greatest satisfaction.