title: [The path of nurses at a university hospital throughout four decades: starting points to innovate their management role].
abstract: Among the challenges faced by Brazilian nursing, the situation of indefiniteness about the nursing role in the hospital context demands a vigorous determination by nursing leaders. Hospital institutions aim at specific objectives, without satisfactorily considering the needs, values, potential and diversities of different professionals.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  carry out a comparative data analysis and extract points of congruence, delimitations and possibilities that allow us to point out directions with a view to more efficient actions. The methodology covered a secondary analysis of five classical studies about nurses' functions, developed in Brazilian literature throughout four decades. This analysis resulted in the discussion and proposal of flexible and humanizing presuppositions to guide the role of nurses in hospital care practice.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Enfermagem Geral e Especializada da Escola de Enfermagem de Ribeirão Preto - USP. trevizan@eerp.usp.br
authors.forename: Maria Auxiliadora
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Trevizan
authors.forename: Isabel Amélia Costa
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Mendes
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: de Godoy
authors.forename: Leila Maria Marchi
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Alves
authors.forename: Eliana Llapa
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Rodriguez
mesh_terms: D001938:Brazil; D006739:Hospital Administration / Q000592:standards*; D006785:Hospitals, University; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital; D013997:Time Factors