The following study analyses the nurse's role in a multiprofessional working group at the hypertension ambulatory care unit (Hospital das Clínicas -Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Brasil) and her role in working with hypertensive patients, who are managed only by the nursing follow-up at the clinic. The authors describe the methodology and the results obtained from the management of these patients at the clinic, emphasizing the practitioner's autonomy in the therapeutic procedures, which are established in the clinic's protocol. Other aspects are also analysed in this study such as (1) the blood pressure variations of a controlled group of hypertensive patients, (2) the necessity of referring the patient to a physician or other professionals when needed, (3) the results of pharmacologiacal and/or non-pharmacological therapeutics and (4) the influences of the modifying risk factors, which were identified either in the first consultation or in subsequent clinic follow-up, and the aderence to the nursing follow-up.