[Nursing leadership styles at a public institution of Fortaleza]

In modern organizations leadership has been emphasized, since it is considered fundamental to the execution of the objectives of a company. It is through leadership that the ability of influencing the behavior of others is developed, facilitating the accomplishment of activities. The study has as its objective the investigation of the head nurse's leadership, considering the opinion of assistant nurses in four units of a public hospital. The study has shown that nurses who are in managerial position, present a leadership profile centered on the service and on individuals.