This conference intends to boost the reflection on the state of nursing in Italy, which began with the XV National Congress of National Consociation of Nurses Associations and Other Health Social Workers (CNAIOSS) held in Naples in 1996. Today the name of the association is National Consociation of Italian Nurses (CNAI) (Desimio et al, 1998). After 17 years, it seems urgent to re-read the stretch of progress made in nursing science and identify future directions for the Italian nursing, in this period of rationalization of resources and economic crisis. The congress activities intend to deepen Italian debate within the profession on the state of the art and discipline, starting from the changing of many elements such as: healthcare setting, diffusion information technology, contents of education and especially the care needs of the population. The conference is designed to answer to some stated aims: - to set the nursing science within the wide context of the health sciences with particular reference to Italy; - to reflect on the state of the art and culture of nursing in Italy; - to acquire theoretical and methodological elements useful to strengthen and redefine their identity as nurse practitioners; - to identify the reasons why it is urgent to choose and use a common language in nursing clinical education, training and organization; - to learn from the sharing of the care planning experience and from the knowledge of different languages acquired by Italian realities. The conference follows the tradition of CNAI and intends to continue its contribution to the evolution of the theoretical and methodological aspects that found nursing practice in Italy.