Supervision of the professional practice of nursing: case study describing the "on-site inspection" sub-process.

Objectives: to describe the "On-site inspection" sub-process of the macroprocess "Supervision" conducted at the headquarters unit of the Regional Nursing Council of São Paulo.

Methods: an exploratory descriptive research, in a single case study modality using data reported by the Headquarters Unit Inspection Management leaders.

Results: the description of the "On-Site inspection" sub-process, initial and return, showed how the activities/tasks pre-established in the inspection roadmap and inserted in the respective inspection terms need to be accurately and sequentially executed to comply with the current legislation and provided the identification of activities that add value to the inspection process.

Conclusions: the results obtained give visibility to the activities/tasks developed by the inspectors and will provide the Inspection Management with subsidies for the rational allocation of the required human resources; and, to the technical managers and legal representatives of the inspected institutions, the knowledge of the activities developed during the performance of the sub-process "On-site inspection".