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The Duke University School of Nursing and the Duke University Health System have, for the past 30 years, engaged in common initiatives to support the art, scholarship, and practice of nursing.

The Vision for this partnership, known as the Duke Advancement of Nursing, Center of Excellence (DANCE) is to be a recognized leader in developing professional nurses across the career continuum, from students through professional clinical practice, research, and education roles at Duke University Health System.

The Mission of the DANCE is to support and advance the knowledge, skills, and professional opportunities for all nurses across Duke; that is, the Duke University School of Nursing (DUSON) and the Duke University Health System (DUHS).

DANCE is grounded in a partnership between the university and the school, and leverages the experience, knowledge, and mutual trust and respect among nurses across both entities. Nurses across the enterprise are committed to personal and professional advancement and the concept of lifelong learning for all to advance the health of the community. Professional identity formation and sustainment of leadership by nurses to address the challenges of promoting a healthier community lies at the heart of the DANCE academic-practice partnership. This partnership enables DANCE to pursue and achieve the overall goal of providing an infrastructure that promotes collaboration, synergy, and co-production of improved patient care outcomes through the work of nurses at every point on the career continuum.