Knowledge and practice of the nurse about leprosy: actions of control and elimination/Conhecimento e prática dos enfermeiros sobre hanseníase: ações de controle e eliminação/Conocimiento y práctica de enfermeros acerca de hanseniasis: acciones de control y eliminación

• Published in: Revista brasileira de enfermagem Vol. 68; no. 2; p. 271
• Main Authors: Rodrigues, Francisco Feitosa, Calou, Cinthia Gondim Pereira, Leandro, Tânia Alteniza, Antezana, Franz Janco, Pinheiro, Ana Karina Bezerra, da Silva, Viviane Martins, Alves, Maria Dalva Santos
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Brasília Associação Brasileira de Enfermagem 01.03.2015
• Subjects: Disease prevention; Health promotion; Leprosy; Medical personnel; Multidisciplinary teams; Nurses; Nursing; Primary care; Public health; Social exclusion; Brazil
• ISSN: 0034-7167; 1984-0446

This article aims to assess the knowledge and practice of primary health care nurses about control and elimination actions of leprosy. Evaluation study with qualitative approach, using the Discourse of the Collective Subject, data were collected through semi-structured interviews conducted with 16 nurses. The data collected revealed that health professionals have sufficient knowledge about the National Policy on Control and Elimination of Leprosy (NPCEL) and that the main actions preconized were applied, however, notification of suspected or confirmed cases and social reintegration of the patient were not mentioned. Keeping patients in treatment, overload of work, lack of interdisciplinarity and treatment performed at other locations outside of the community were difficulties reported by professionals. Nurses know the actions addressed at assistance of leprosy patients, however, the study points to the need for a practice which is more aligned to what advocates NPCEL.