Governance of professional nursing practice in a hospital setting: a mixed methods study

Objective: to elaborate an interpretative model for the governance of professional nursing practice in a hospital setting. Method: a mixed methods study with concurrent triangulation strategy, using data from a cross-sectional study with 106 nurses and a Grounded Theory study with 63 participants. The quantitative data were collected through the Brazilian Nursing Work Index - Revised and underwent descriptive statistical analysis. Qualitative data were obtained from interviews and analyzed through initial, selective and focused coding. Results: based on the results obtained with the Brazilian Nursing Work Index - Revised, it is possible to state that nurses perceived that they had autonomy, control over the environment, good relationships with physicians and organizational support for nursing governance. The governance of the professional nursing practice is based on the management of nursing care and services carried out by the nurses. To perform these tasks, nurses aim to get around the constraints of the organizational support and develop management knowledge and skills. Conclusion: it is important to reorganize the structures and processes of nursing governance, especially the support provided by the organization for the management practices of nurses.