Nurses' knowledge and practice on social participation in health

Objective: to identify nurses' knowledge and practice in the framework of the Family Health Strategy program with regard to social participation in health. Method: qualitative study which had the Family Health Units in a municipality of Minas Gerais as setting. Nine nurses participated in the study, and they were interviewed individually in July and August 2014. Data were collected and analyzed according to the content analysis technique and interpreted in the light of Paulo Freire's ontology and critical pedagogy. Results: the analyzed statements showed that nurses bring along conceptual and behavioral inconsistencies which need to be equalized, so their knowledge and practice can mediate the challenging construction of participatory management in health. Conclusion: an improvement in nurses' training is suggested, both academically and professionally, aiming at strengthening their political role in the process of consolidation of social participation in the Brazilian Unified Health System.