Nurse leadership
perspectives and challenges experienced in the Emergency Care Unit
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1590/ce.v31i0.100234ptKeywords:
Hospitals, Emergencies, Leadership, Professional Competence, Nurses, MaleAbstract
Objective: To understand nurse leadership in the context of an Emergency Care Unit.
Method: Descriptive study with a qualitative approach, following the theoretical-methodological framework of Hermeneutic-Dialectics. The study setting consisted of an Emergency Care Unit, with the participation of 18 practicing nurses. Semi-structured interviews were used for data collection, and the data were analyzed using Reflective Thematic Analysis.
Results: In the context of the Emergency Care Unit, nurses exercise different leadership models for quality care, as well as mastering good management practices and assertive behaviors to improve collaboration and efficiency in the work process. However, they face adversity in balancing authority and subordination in the face of leadership.
Conclusion: There is a clear need to exercise leadership that prioritizes positive interpersonal relationships, favoring cooperation and team commitment. The adoption of assertive behaviors has a direct impact on overcoming adversity, resulting in concrete improvements in the dynamics of the Nursing work process and the quality of care provided.
References
1. Backes DS, Gomes RCC, Rupolo I, Bucher A, da Silva MJP, Ferreira CLL. Liderança em enfermagem e saúde à luz do pensamento da complexidade. Rev Esc Enferm USP [Internet]. 2022 [cited 2026 Feb 5];56:e20210553. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1590/1980-220X-REEUSP-2021-0553en
2. de Oliveira L, de Andrade JC, Ferreira TDM, Balsanelli AP, Gasparino RC. Ideal leadership: perception of nursing students. Rev Bahiana enferm [Internet]. 2022 [cited 2025 Jun 19];36:e448291-9. Available from: https://doi.org/10.18471/rbe.v36.44829
3. da Silva TR, Felex M, Saccomann ICR. Práticas de liderança em enfermagem: avaliação dos gestores e da equipe liderada. Rev Fac Ciênc Méd Sorocaba [Internet]. 2021 [cited 2026 Feb 5];23(3/4):90-6. Available from: https://doi.org/10.23925/1984-4840.2021v23i3/4a5
4. Morcelli LMB, Dias BM, Gabriel CS, Bernardes A. Influence of nurse leadership on patient safety: an integrative review. Rev Baiana Enferm [Internet]. 2023 [cited 2026 Feb 5];37:54967. Available from: https://periodicos.ufba.br/index.php/enfermagem/article/view/54967
5. Rodrigues EGB. Hermenêutica dialética das narrativas: uma proposta de análise de biografias. Esferas [Internet]. 2022 [cited 2026 Jan 17];2(25):2446-6190. Available from: https://doi.org/10.31501/esf.v1i25.14093
6. Braun V, Clarke V. To saturate or not to saturate? questioning datasaturationas a useful concept for thematic analysis and sample-size rationales, Qual Res Sport Exerc Health [Internet]. 2021 [cited 2025 Out 24];2(13):201-16. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1080/2159676x.2019.1704846
7. Varanda PAG, Amestoy SC, da Silva GTR, Backes VMS, Vieira SL, das Virgens CDR. Professors’ perspectives on the teaching of leadership in nursing. Ciênc Cuid Saúde [Internet]. 2023 [cited 2026 Jan 17];22:e65753. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.4025/ciencuidsaude.v22i0.65753
8. de Moraes MCS, Dutra GO, Ferreira TDM, Dias FCP, Balsanelli AP, Gasparino RC. Nursing coaching leadership and its influence on job satisfaction and patient safety. Rev Esc Enferm USP [Internet]. 2021 [cited 2026 Jan 17];55:e03779. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1590/S1980-220X2020042103779
9. Biegelmeyer UH, Castilhos NC, Correio VB, Maioli S. Liderança: tipos, diferenças e importância dos líderes nas organizações. Adm Empresas Rev [Internet]. 2021 [cited 2025 Jun 19];2(24):115-48. Available from: https://revista.unicuritiba.edu.br/index.php/admrevista/article/view/4420/371373311
10. Amestoy SC, Trindade LL, da Silva GTR, Martins MM, Varanda PAG, dos Santos IAR. Fragilities and potentialities in the training of nurse leaders. Rev. Gaúcha Enferm [Internet]. 2021 [cited 2026 Feb 18];42(esp):e20200196. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1590/1983-1447.2021.20200196
11. Marziale MHP. The strengthening nursing in different contexts of action based on leadership: beyond practice, into policy. Rev Enferm UFSM [Internet]. 2022 [cited 2026 Jan 17];12:e1. Available from: https://doi.org/10.5902/2179769273424
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Lays Vitória Mendes Ferreira, Juliana Aparecida Albuquerque Apipe, Fabiana Aparecida Santos, Rozilaine Martins, Mirelle Inácio Soares
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Cogitare Enfermagem reserves the right to make normative, orthographic, and grammatical changes to the published article to maintain the cultured standard of the language, while respecting the authors' style.
The published study is the sole responsibility of the author(s), and Cogitare Enfermagem is exclusively responsible for evaluating the manuscript as a scientific publication vehicle. Revista Cogitare Enfermagem is not responsible for any violations of Law No. 9,610/1998, the Brazilian Copyright Law.
Cogitare Enfermagem allows the author to hold the copyright of articles accepted for publication, without restrictions.
The articles published are licensed under the Creative Commons license CC BY 4.0 Creative Commons - Attribution 4.0 International - CC BY 4.0 - The attribution adopted by Cogitare Enfermagem is permitted:
- Share - copy and redistribute the material in any media or format.
- Adapt - remix, transform and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially.
- Attribution - You must give proper credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes have been made. You may do this in any reasonable way, but not in a way that suggests that the licensor endorses it or approves of its use.
- No additional restrictions - You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing something that the license allows.
