title: Knowledge and practice of the nurse about leprosy: actions of control and elimination.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  to assess the knowledge and practice of primary health care nurses about control and elimination actions of leprosy.
  
  
  METHODS
  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, notification of suspected or confirmed cases and social reintegration of the patient were not mentioned.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  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.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Enfermagem, Universidade Regional do Cariri, Crato, CE, Brasil.
authors.forename: Francisco Feitosa
authors.initials: FF
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Enfermagem, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Enfermagem, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brasil.
authors.forename: Cinthia Gondim Pereira
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Calou
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Enfermagem, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Enfermagem, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brasil.
authors.forename: Tânia Alteniza
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Leandro
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Enfermagem, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Enfermagem, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brasil.
authors.forename: Franz Janco
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Antezana
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Enfermagem, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Enfermagem, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brasil.
authors.forename: Ana Karina Bezerra
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Pinheiro
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Enfermagem, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Enfermagem, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brasil.
authors.forename: Viviane Martins
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: da Silva
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Enfermagem, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Enfermagem, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brasil.
authors.forename: Maria Dalva Santos
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Alves
mesh_terms: D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007918:Leprosy / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009729:Nursing