Nursing in the community - Impact of context on the practice agenda

• The agenda for health care detailed in recent policy statements has a strong community and primary health care focus. • The impact of the community, and specifically the patient's home, as a location for practising and learning to practise nursing, is an issue which has received limited exploration. Recent research suggests that the context influences the practice agenda in a number of ways. • Highlighting the impact of working in the community context is timely in order that education providers, policy makers and managers are fully aware of the impact of moving care 'closer to home'.