Nurse practice centers in academia: an emerging subsystem

Nurse practice centers have been instituted by numerous schools of nursing throughout the United States. This study was done in part to better identify their components as well as the forces constraining and stimulating their development. General systems theory was used as the theoretical base. Academically-based nursing centers were identified as a subsystem of both the health care system and the higher education system in America. As a subsystem of both of these systems, the nurse practice center operated by a school of professional nursing represents an entity that has the capacity to foster all components of professional nursing including scholarly practice, education and research. Forty such centers were found to be sites for a wide variety of care, research and learning involving faculty and students. Forces stimulating the development of such centers were faculty clinical practice, clinical learning experiences and service opportunities. Constraining forces were time management and role ambiguity. Faculty members' job satisfaction correlated significantly with the budget at the .007 level.