Knowledge and practice of the nurse about leprosy: actions of control and elimination.

OBJECTIVE: to assess the knowledge and practice of primary health care nurses about control and elimination actions of leprosy.

METHOD: evaluation study with qualitative approach, using the Discourse of the Collective Subject, data were collected through semi-structured interviews conducted with 16 nurses.

RESULTS: 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, notifi cation of suspected or confi rmed cases and social reintegration of the patient were not mentioned.

CONCLUSION: keeping patients in treatment, overload of work, lack of interdisciplinarity and treatment performed at other locations outside of the community were diffi culties 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.