The art and science of modern nursing encompass fundamental nursing concepts that include health, illness, stress and health promotion. Nurses work with physicians and other medical staff in a wide variety of medical and community settings. They provide preventive, primary, acute and chronic care for sick and injured patients with health information, restorative care, medication administration, and emergency care. Nursing care focuses on protecting and promoting physical and mental health for patients and for the community.

Community health nurses work to improve the health and well-being of communities they serve by educating them about illness and disease prevention, safe health practices, nutrition, and wellness. They often provide treatment for poor, culturally diverse, and uninsured populations. One of the primary functions of a community health nurse is to identify health problems in the community and to provide health care to patients who may not have access to, or be able to afford, medical services. They develop intervention plans to address the health, safety, and nutritional issues they discover, and attempt to educate their patients about healthy choices that assist with disease and illness prevention.