Nurse-managed health care: an ongoing tradition

Nurse-managed health care is a concept that has received much attention lately; however, it is not a new idea. Nurse-managed health care has been delivered through nursing centers since the beginning of the 20th century. This article examines the history of nursing centers and reports on the current diversity that exists in these centers today. Characteristics of academic and nonacademic nursing centers are examined through a review of the few studies currently available in the literature.