The Pan American Health Organization referential of Essential Public Health Functions (EPHF) was developed to improve public health performance, which depends on professional education. A case study with the objective of identifying the insertion of EPHF in the curriculum of the nursing undergraduate course at Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul was developed. Keywords were defined from the definitions of the eleven EPHF. These were searched for in the class plans of the curriculum courses. Ten EPHF were identified, with major occurrence of the human health resources development and training in public health. Contemplating more intensively some of the EPHF, the curriculum under study should propitiate the education of nurses capable of contributing towards their performance. It is necessary to insert the other EPHF into the curriculum, contributing to the excellent performance of public health by the professionals educated in this institution.