Aims:

To identify the factors underlying the nurses' clinical judgement on the empowerment of the care provider.

Methods:

Qualitative and exploratory study. The participants were 10 expert nurses who belonged to a group who support their colleagues in care design supported by theoretical models and nurses who have expertise in empowering caregivers, at a university hospital. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with audio recording. Data were analysed using the content analysis technique.

Results:

Three themes emerged: nurses, caregivers, and difficulties and limitations, which were subdivided into eight subthemes. Facilitating factors were identified, as well as constraints and difficulties associated with the assumption and management of the role of caregiver.

Conclusion:

The empowerment of the caregiver is a complex process, with the nursing care more focused on the dependent person and less on the caregiver, which shows that this is an area that requires greater attention and conceptualization by nurses.