NURSES' PERFORMANCE IN CONGENITAL SYPHILIS PREVENTION AND DISCUSSION SPACES

Abstract

ABSTRACT Objective: to know the possibilities for nurses' discussion and performance spaces in the quadrilateral of training in the health area: teaching, care, management and social control in the prevention of congenital syphilis. Method: a qualitative and exploratory-descriptive research study, theoretically supported by public health policies. The data were collected in July 2020 through nine online focus groups with a total of 42 nurses from 18 municipalities in the mountainous region of the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil. For data systematization, thematic content analysis was used with the support of the Atlas.ti software, version 8.0. Results: nurses' performance occurred especially during direct assistance to patients, when performing rapid tests, monitoring prenatal care and following-up cases of the disease. Discussions about congenital syphilis took place in care spaces. As for the quadrilateral, the nurses related health care to direct assistance and to management of the work organization process in relation to the prevention of congenital syphilis, in addition to pointing out weaknesses in education and social control. They suggested training managers about the quadrilateral. Conclusion: the nurses acted in the prevention of congenital syphilis through direct assistance, making it necessary to expand actions to combat syphilis, especially by increasing the discussion spaces and the elaboration of strategies that involve professionals, managers, researchers and the community in an articulated way about the reality of syphilis in the state, as well as about prevention and treatment means.