Abstract

Objective: To describe the care management of nurses in the units of upper endoscopic digestive procedures. Material and Method: The research was developed under the interpretive paradigm, qualitative method and content analysis, during 2019 and 2020. The sample consisted of 11 nurses from four hospitals of the Araucanía Region (Chile), and was obtained by convenience and using the snowball technique. Data collection was carried out using semi-structured interviews through Zoom®. The analysis included reflective reading and construction of theoretical categories, supported by the Atlas.ti® software. Rigor considered reliability, triangulation and variability; the research followed common ethical criteria used at international level. Results: From the category Critical Elements of Care Management, the following categories emerged: human resource management in an environment with a high workload and unqualified personnel, management of material and technological resources, as well as process management; from the category Functions of Nurses of the Endoscopy Unit: functions of generalist nurses, functions of the specialty and functions associated with medical collaboration; and from the category Characteristics of Nurses in the Unit: empowerment of professional practice, patient-centered care, autonomy to manage care and deliver safe care. Conclusions: Nurses in upper endoscopy units develop as specialists, focusing on coordination and process management associated with safe care.