The study analyzes reception as a strategy for reorganizing nursing care, identifying its presuppotions and mechanisms which make it possible to implement and qualifying potentialities of care. It uses the qualitive approach, giving priority to primary sources: questionnaires answered by managers, degree nurses, nursing auxilliares and doctors from the Municipal Health Office of Belo Horizonte. It was found that the nursing auxiliary is the main person carrying out this activity, followed by the degree nurse. The main activities are listening, screening and forwarding, with little focus on guidance. The actors emphasize team integration and the understanding of the work process as facilitating factors. The training and qualification of professionals was considered as one of the mechanisms to overcome difficulties. It reveals the failures of the structure of service for reception. The conclusion is that this practice suggests the need for the reorganization of the nursing work process in order to improve the quality of health care.