AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To investigate the self-concept in nurse managers in Turkey and the effects of certain variables on professional self-concept. BACKGROUND: Professional self-concept plays a significant role in improving certain professional behaviours. Nursing managers have the potential to influence other members of the profession with their attitudes and behaviours. DESIGN: The study was designed as a cross-sectional descriptive study. METHODS: This study was conducted with 159 nurse managers in nine different hospitals. The study data were collected with a Personal Information Form and Professional Self-concept Nursing Inventory, and the data analysis was accomplished with descriptive statistics, Cronbach's alpha coefficients and Chi-squared Automatic Interaction Detector analyses. RESULTS: The professional self-concept score of nurse managers was 3·33 (SD = 0·308). Professional competence subdimension had the highest scores, while professional satisfaction subdimension had the lowest. The types of hospital were found to be influential on professional self-concept. CONCLUSION: The types of hospital were reported to influence the professional self-concept of nurses. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Nursing managers are visionaries who can potentially influence nursing practices and decisions. Nursing leaders must monitor and administer strategies to improve their professional self-concept.