CHARACTERIZATION OF THE AUTHORITY EXERCISED BY NURSE-MANAGERS IN HEALTH INSTITUTIONS IN MEXICO AND PORTUGAL

The study aimed to analyze the meaning of the authority exercised by the nurse-manager in health institutions and to compare the type of authority of nurse-managers in Mexico and in Portugal. This study is qualitative, descriptive and comparative. A total of 24 nurse-managers participated. The instrument used was an interview script, based in the following dimensions: meaning and type of authority. The meaning of authority was discussed in accordance with the theory of symbolic interactionism. The results made it possible to reflect on the meaning of authority, revealing that – for the Mexican managers – it is a moral value on the part of the manager; while for the Portuguese, it is a skill which is inherent to the position. Regarding the type of authority exercised, for the former, justice, comprehension and equality in relation to the other employees predominated. For the latter, the authority must be democratic, participative and based on acceptance. It is concluded that among the managers from both countries there is no confluence regarding authority, and that their divergence affects the final perspective of their decisions.