Aim: to identify the attributes and competencies of nursing managers in the teaching hospitals in the state of Paraná, in relation to their teaching, research, care and management. Method: a descriptive, exploratory, qualitative approach, carried out in 12 teaching hospitals in Paraná, through semi-structured interviews with 13 nurses who occupy the top position in nursing. The interviews included identification data of the participants, their positions and their attributes and competencies. Results: the attributes were; institutional representation, nursing care management, human resources management and teaching. The skills that stood out after content analysis were; conflict management, leadership, decision making and policy. Conclusions: although the research was carried out in teaching hospitals, the most frequent assignments and competencies of managers relate to the managerial dimension to the detriment of the teaching and research dimensions.