[Why a debate on nursing management?].

The aim of this monographic issue of Assistenza Infermieristica e Ricerca is to open a discussion on nursing management, its contents and contribution to the development of the nursing profession but also its scientific and evidence based bases, and specifically: to highlight the open questions that deserve more extended and further research; to compare problems and solutions adopted in practice, with the results of the main studies available to identify main trends and effective organizative nursing models to suggest the implementation of changes to improve working conditions and patients outcomes. The published contributions were produced by the students of the Specialistic Degree Course for Nurses and Midwifes of Verona University who selected the relevant topics, searched and critically appraised the literature. This monographic issue, that will be published in two parts (number 1 and 2 2006) is divided in three main areas: The first will deal with a fundamental question: whether a nursing management exists and when and how it should be taught. The second, selects a series of topics of relevant interest for nurses and summarises the main evidences available. Each contribution presents: the definition of the problem (i.e. what is the nursing shortage; its contributing factors, actual and future trends and possible solutions available); examples of relevant studies; a critical debate, focusing on hot questions, unresolved problems, issues that deserve further research. suggestions for further studies. Relevant articles and Mesh terms for independent literature search are suggested. In the third part, methodological contributions will be presented, with a critical appraisal of protocols of organizative research studies and an analysis of strengths and limitations of the studies on the organization of care.