Recently, the new paradigm of community health development has been an important nomenclature among the Taiwan's health care delivery system. The new government has emphasized and developed nearly one hundred centers to import concepts such as “the process of empowerment, the process of voluntary participation, co-operation collaborative problem-solving, and self-help/mutual aid among residents of a neighborhood aimed at improved physical, social and economic conditions”. Nurses in the community have been important in creating and leading the success of the policy. The work describes the relationship and importance of the critical social theory and community health development. Particularly, the possibility of combing the knowledge and skills of nurses practicing community health development with those engaged in participatory action research will be discussed.