[Personal and professional nuances of nurses who perform administration functions in the university hospital]

Considering the particular nuances of the nurses who exert management function, the following problem was delimited: what is the profile of the nurse leader in a management role? The objective of the study was to delineate the profile of the nurse in a management position according to personal and professional characteristics. The research was performed in 2007, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, using the descriptive method, applying a questionnaire to 66 nurses in managerial positions. The predominant age group was 44 to 48 years, in a stable relationship and having one child. Most participants (89.39%) have two public jobs, graduated from 21 to 25 years ago (39.39%), have theoretical preparation for leadership (80.39%), and have postgraduate diplomas either lato sensu (36.36%) or stricto sensu (36.06%). In conclusion, nurses in leadership roles have, predominantly, specialization in clinical areas and leadership is essential for the care process. Future studies should correlate their profile to managerial styles and to leadership dimensions.