<p>Nodal integral methods (<i>NIMs</i>) are a class of highly efficient coarse-mesh techniques for the numerical solution of partial differential equations (<i>PDEs</i>). Among these, the cell-centered <i>NIM</i> (<i>CCNIM</i>) stands out as an enhanced version, proving its effectiveness in addressing fluid flow problems. However, it faces certain limitations, such as its unsuitability for one-dimensional problems and the necessity of using a complex system of differential–algebraic equations (<i>DAEs</i>) to represent discrete unknowns per node in transient problems. To address these challenges, this study introduces a modified version of <i>CCNIM</i> for the solution of the transient diffusion equation. We discretize the spatial and temporal coordinates following the principles of the nodal method, achieving second-order accuracy in both spatial and temporal variables. Unlike the previous version of <i>CCNIM</i>, our proposed scheme uses algebraic equations to represent discrete variables at each node, eliminating the need for complex <i>DAE</i> systems. To validate the proposed method, we solved several transient diffusion problems in one dimension with known analytical solutions. The simplification of the proposed scheme offers a strong basis for its smooth expansion to more complicated fluid flow problems.</p>