The chronic patient and the nurse-managed hospital unit.

In this article we discuss the implementation of a hospital nursing care unit in a local health authority in Rome (Italy), The hospital involved provides a wide range of healthcare and social services. The project is a very innovative one at the national level, with respect to healthcare services offered to patients with chronic disorders and associated disabilities. Starting from the concept of "centrality of the patient" in the area of healthcare services, we developed an organizational model where nursing care represents one of the basic elements.