This work was aimed to identify how the nurses consider the longitudinality of care in the Family Health Strategy (FHS) and to verify their perception on its effectiveness in their work as well as in the working team. This is a descriptive-exploratory study with qualitative approach. Data were collected from 20 nurses that work in the FHS within the 10th Regional of Health of Paraná State, through semi-structured recorded interviews in the month of April 2010 and submitted to the content analysis. The nurses understand the longitudinality of care as something durable, to assist the individuals in a thorough way. That kind of professional assists the users in their different life cycles, and the team is participative, with more actions from the part of the Community Agent of Health and less doctor's participation. It is concluded that the longitudinality of care is important in the work of the family health team, and that its practice is in agreement with the prevailing model of assistance.
Family Health; Primary Health Care; Continuity of Patient Care; Health Services; Nursing