The insertion of the nursing profession in Epidemiologic Surveillance (ES) at Ribeirão Preto from 1988 to 1996 has been identified in the process of health care decentralization. The qualitative methodology is used based in bibliographic and documentation sources and by 8 semi-structured interviews. Nurses are in greater number than all other health profissionals and their practice are based on the Epidemiology and management of control side, represented by notifications and visits, and the prevention side, represented by immunization.
public health nursing; epidemiologic surveillance
