The world of work is undergoing changes in all areas. Globalization and technological advances have made the world of work more demanding, so young people need to be trained to enter the job market. The aim of this study was to characterize the profile and difficulties encountered by nurses in the academic-professional transition at a university located in the Midwest of Santa Catarina. This is a quantitative-qualitative study. A total of 74 nursing graduates took part, having graduated between 2009 and 2015. The results show that 90.5% are currently working as nurses, the majority of graduates had no difficulties getting their first job, they entered the world of work by various means and are satisfied with their current situation. They are satisfied with what they learned during their degree. They reported criticisms of the degree, such as a hospital-centered view, a low number of hours of practical classes and a lack of experience on the part of the teachers, especially in the field of internships, as well as pointing out the need for improvements. It was concluded that the majority of graduates are in the world of work.