Becoming nursing manager in the nested and complex border of caring and management dimensions

Abstract

The study aimed to understand the experience of managing medical-surgical inpatient units in a general hospital, highlighting the meaning of being a nursing manager, with the intention to qualify and instrument nurses for caring management practice in this scenario. This is a Grounded Theory research, conducted from August 2010 to August 2012, through interviews with 19 participants from the nursing team, distributed in 3 sampling groups. From the analysis emerged the phenomenon “Becoming a nursing manager in the nested and complex border of caring and management dimension”. To exercise caring management, nurses use management instruments as essential tools, they become capable theoretically and enhances, based on his experience, professional skills and personal characteristics.  We conclude that competency mobilization beyond the clinical aspect is needed; allowing the use of management instruments to make caring viable and to improve relational and interactive processes.