What are nurse clinics?
Nurse clinics are nurse-led or nurse-coordinated models of care that make better use of nurses’ skills, knowledge and relationships with patients.
In a nurse clinic, nurses take a lead role in planning, coordinating and delivering care for a defined patient group or health need. The model may be delivered by one nurse, by a nursing team, or by a broader primary care team where the nurse leads or coordinates the patient pathway.
Nurse clinics are holistic, patient-centred and grounded in nursing practice. They support prevention, screening, chronic disease management, health coaching, care coordination and other areas where nurses can make a strong contribution to patient outcomes and experience.
In general practice and other primary care settings, nurse clinics can support team-based care by creating a clear and consistent model for how patients are assessed, educated, supported, reviewed and referred when needed.
Why nurse clinics matter?
Nurse clinics offer an alternative model of care delivery where the nurse is the primary provider of care for the patient. The nursing services provided are holistic and patient-centred, with accountability and responsibility for patient care and professional practice remaining with the nurse. In the general practice setting, nurse clinic models support a team based approach to care delivery, and involve the general practitioner and other members of the practice team.
Primary care is changing. Patients are living with more complex health needs, practices are managing increasing demand, and the health system is moving towards more integrated, multidisciplinary and person-centred care.
Nurse clinics give primary care nurses a practical way to respond to these changes. They help nurses use their full capability, build stronger relationships with patients and contribute to services that are proactive rather than reactive.
A well-designed nurse clinic can:
- Improve access to care.
- Support prevention and early intervention.
- Strengthen patient education and health literacy.
- Improve continuity and coordination of care.
- Help patients take a more active role in their own health.
- Support practices and services to use the skills of their nursing workforce more effectively.
When do nurse clinics work best?
Nurse clinics work best when there is a clear patient need, a defined model of care and support from the broader team or organisation.
They are especially useful when patients benefit from time, education, continuity and structured follow-up. This may include care for people living with chronic conditions, patients who need prevention or screening support, or communities where access to timely primary care is limited.
Nurse clinics are particularly valuable when:
- Patients need support to understand and manage their health.
- Prevention, screening or early intervention can improve outcomes.
- Care needs to be coordinated across a team or service.
- Trust, continuity and longer-term relationships matter.
- Nurses have recognised skills or special interests that align with local community need.
Start with the Building Blocks
APNA has developed the Building Blocks to help nurses plan and establish nurse clinics in a practical way.
The Building Blocks guide you through the essential elements of clinic development, including planning, funding, staffing, governance, patient engagement, systems and evaluation.
You do not need to have every answer before you begin. The Building Blocks are designed to help you move from an idea to a safe, practical and sustainable model of care.