[The performance of family health nurses in home care].

This study aimed at identifying the performance of Family Health Strategy (FHS) nurses in home care. It consists of an exploratory descriptive study using a qualitative approach. Six FHS nurses from a health district of Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, were interviewed. Data were submitted to thematic content analysis, revealing three categories: home visit (HV) in the FHS, assessment of HV demands and interaction with the health team in home care. Home visits (HV) have allowed the identification of health needs through the recognition of the patients' life context. This approach has been used for chronic, bedridden and elderly patients care, based on information brought by community health agents. All nurses reported to perform HV, and stated they would like to have more time to dedicate to this activity.