OBJECTIVES: Verify nurses' knowledge and practice to material uterine cervical, to identify availability of material of collection and to verify suitability of the smears. METHODS: Transversal study, at service, was carried from August to October 2006, with 21 nurses. Knowledge was investigated through questionnaire; collection technique and material were researched through observation; suitability of the smears was verified in the lab reports. RESULTS: Seventeen nurses evaluated themselves security to carry through the examination; two had asked about emptiness of bladder and four had explained procedure; none inquired using a shower, sexual abstinence and bleed intermenstrual; two had left to use of spatula correctly and two had considered unnecessary endocervix collection; two collections the time for fixation was excessive. Speculums and Cherron clamps had been insufficient; 63 (100%) blades were adjusted. CONCLUSION: It has been detected deficit of knowledge and technique, insufficiency of materials, and although the imperfections observed in the collection, 100% of the findings had conferred adequateness to the blades.
Vaginal smears; Uterine cervical neoplasms; Employee performance appraisal; Health knowledge, attitudes, practice
