The education of healthcare management: a view from the graduates – Grounded Theory

Aim: To understand the views of nursing students about the education of healthcare management in terms of their academic background. Method: this is a qualitative study developing theory based on a data approach. The data was collected through semistructured interviews with 18 students of two different Brazilian universities. To analyze the information, we used open, axial and selective codification. Results: the identification of defined categories: recognizing the interconnections among the subjects helped the client as a whole; associating healthcare management to the understanding of the real physical and mental necessities of the client; understanding healthcare management as a wide and complex activity related to the direct and indirect healthcare of the client, and; related to the fact there is a higher emphasis on the theoretical content compared with the practical, especially regarding healthcare management, which empowers the client with a more humanized and more complete healthcare service. Conclusion: the students understand that management, in the face of institutional demands, is a strategy to develop better healthcare.