Nursing centers provide alternative models of health care delivery that integrate primary care, public health and social services. Services provided include

• health promotion,
• disease prevention,
• health teaching,
• counseling services,
• intensive case management,
• population-based programming in partnership with community residents and other area human service providers.

In many cases, the services provided by the nursing centers are the only ones readily accessible to the community residents who are often physically, socially and/or psychologically vulnerable; un- or under-insured; at or below the poverty level; and/or disadvantaged for other reasons such as age or ethnicity.

Using nursing models of health, professional nurses in these centers diagnose and treat human responses to actual and potential health problems and promote health and optimal functioning among target populations and communities. Accountability and responsibility for patient care and professional practice remain with the professional nurse. Overall accountability and responsibility remains with the nurse executive. Nursing centers include, but are not limited to:

• community nursing organizations,
• nurse-managed centers,
• nursing clinics,
• community nursing centers,
• academic nursing centers.

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