ABSTRACT
Objective:
to describe the social representation of nurses on tuberculosis and identify the implications on nursing care.
Method:
qualitative research with the participation of 52 nurses from 23 Basic Health Units of Belém, Pará. A semi-structured interview was conducted with subsequent analysis of the thematic content according to the Theory of Social Representations.
Results:
the social representations of tuberculosis were organized into two categories: infection, evidencing the clinical-epidemiological aspects of the disease, and stigma and prejudice, representing the social aspect. Care is affected by fear - a fact that explains the distance adopted by some nurses when handling ill people.
Conclusion:
the social representations of nurses on tuberculosis remain grounded in fear, leading professionals to keep a certain distance from patients and generating stigma and prejudice, which may affect adherence to treatment.
Descriptors:
Tuberculosis; Nursing; Social Psychology; Nursing Care; Social Stigma