Objectives: to analyze the scientific production of nurses on hospital infection, to evaluate the impact of the ordinance MS-196/83 to quantify the production in different decades and list the main measures of prevention and control. Methodology: literature review study was carried out manually from 1980 to 2006, in Brazilian nursing journals of the acquis of the Central Library of the University of São Paulo. Results: 33 publications totaled up nursing on hospital infection, from 2000 to 2006 concentrates the largest number of jobs in this area. Showing participation of 65% of teachers in scientific production. We noticed the high number of publications in order to study law, ethics and CCIH 13 (40%) which emphasize the role of nurses in the context of nosocomial infection and the importance of the role of the Committee for Hospital Infection Control, and the high percentage of studies descriptive / exploratory, seeking to change behavior and control of hospital infection. Conclusion: the fight against hospital infections presents itself today as a complex problem. We recognize that although the theme hospital infection is very common and widely disseminated in the national nursing is still poorly addressed. Descriptors: nosocomial infection; nursing; cientific production.