[Autonomy of the nursing profession: state of the art]

This article points out the foundation elements of the nursing education, the way covered till now, the status of the art and what has to be achieved in order to attain Nursing Degree objectives. The different aspects concerning the curricula organization and the model of care are examined. The request of getting nursing teaching and nursing chairs for nurses are an aim not yet met, but they are the basis objectives of the professional engagement. Another important subject concerns the leadership that will allow nurses to be administrators and managers in every respect, also from a juridical point of view, and to express their professionality in a really autonomous way.