Historical and dialectical materialism in nursing care: integrative review

INTRODUCTION: Emphasis is placed on the need for scientific involvement in the changes that occur in the nursing universe, with the intention of offering conduits based on the best scientific evidence, since nursing is one of the health professions present in the world and answers are expected for the most diverse health problems, including those belonging to the multiprofessional team. OBJECTIVE: to analyze the national and international scientific production about the contributions of the Historical and Dialectical Materialism Theory in the field of Nursing. Method: integrative review which guiding question is << What has been published in national and international level regarding the historical and dialectical materialism in the field of nursing? >> Searching occurred in the MEDLINE, LILACS, IBECS, BDENF databases and in SciELO virtual library. These descriptors were used: "historical and dialectical materialism" AND "nursing". Articles in Portuguese, Spanish and English languages were included, published in the period from 2004 to 2014. Theses and/or dissertations were excluded. Results: of 134 found, 8 articles were included. Predominance of qualitative research and Portuguese language. Conclusion: the national and international production analysis pointed out the shortage of articles referring to the use of historical and dialectical materialism in nursing. Studies have shown how theory can contribute to the work process in nursing.