This literature review aims to identify and to analyze the use of cross mapping in nursing researches. It was identified that researches that used cross mapping in nursing are related to the creation of classification systems and also with the prospect of the use of computers in health services. The United States performed 11 studies using the cross mapping followed by Brazil with 6 studies, Netherlands with 3 studies and other countries in Europe and Asia with 1 study. The cross mapping is a useful tool in studies on the standardized languages in nursing and can promote the use of the classification systems in different contexts.