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.
Nursing; Nurse's role; Hospital administration; Organization and administration