The objective of this study is to identify the expectations and problems that pose an obstable to the professional exercise of nursing executives  from the Andalusian Health Service (SAS) by means of a descriptive-explanatory study. In order to do this, a questionnaire has been ellaborated for the assessment of competences -via discussion groups and Delphi groups- filled out by nursing executives at hospitals and health districts throughout the Andalusian Health Service. The main results obtained indicate that specific training and the non-definition or lack of definition of duties appear as the main difficulties. Because of this, it is necessary to have an operational vision of the professional competences and duties and also to have a strategic vision of the company. The intervention strategies proposed are: the analysis and description of the post and the professional management profile, establishing the competences necessary for the performance, responsabilities and requirements of the post; personal self-evaluation and the institutional evaluation that measure the real outcomes derived from the nursing management; and the training on specific competences before taking possession of the post, as related to care management; optimisation of the work post in healthcare centres, and the attitudes that require potentiation.