[Institutional characteristics that interfere in the leadership of nurses]

The development of this study aimed at knowing the institutional characteristics that interfere with leadership of the nurse. This is a qualitative survey of descriptive and exploratory type, held in a large hospital located in the southern Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, during the months of February and March 2008, in which participated 11 nurses. For the collection of data, we used semistructured interview. It was opted for the analysis of content as a technique for data processing in which emerged a category concerning institutional character that consists of six subcategories: remuneration, material resources, autonomy and institutional support, rotation, devaluation of the profession, and lack of incentive to develop leaders. It was identified that the little incentive to the improvement of the nurses front to the leadership is one institutional problem that can be minimized through the permanent education and the creation and implementation of programs of development for leaders in nursing.