Objective To know the current state of development of the thematic area of nursing education related with professional training and to determine the research trends. Descriptive integrative review, which conducted a search in databases limited from 2005 to 2016, using MeSH and DeCS terms, like Nursing, education, Nursing education research, Nursing students, health knowledge practice, and professional competence, which analyzed 50 original articles. The concepts that emerged were: successful didactics, caring learning process, professional skills, professor role, and pedagogic relationships. The highest levels of evidence were found in studies on didactics; however, the trends and challenges of this review are aimed at the professional skill because it becomes the transversal concept in the formation of nurses.