The purpose of this study was to identify nurses managerial conduct in a private maternity hospital located in the interior of the São Paulo state, Brazil. In order to collect data, authors used a questionnaire with 20 propositions related to the work of nurses in the different units of the hospital. Following, authors performed a descriptive statistical analysis of the data. Results showed a tendency toward democratization in the conduct of the nurses investigated as the majority of the responses privileged questions on team work, workers' participation and group development. Also, authors evidenced that great part of the responses did not agree with the propositions about the principles of the Classical Administration Theory.
nursing; management; hospital
