[Proposal for first level nursing degree]

A project for the organisation of the new nursing degree program starting in Italy in 2001/02 is presented (national regulation published 5 June 2001). It is the fruit of the work of a group of nursing professors of the University of Insubria (Varese, Italy). After the explanation of the criteria which have led to the educative objectives construction, the choice of the scientific disciplines necessary to reach them has been made. The same educative objective have guided the amount of working hours assigned to each discipline and formative activity (according to the European credit transfer system). The characteristic elements of the project are: the presence of an introductory module among the so called "professionalising formative activities"; the centrality of these professionalising formative activities; the constant reference to a conceptual nursing model; the decision to keep the integrated courses modality beginning from the experience gained since 1992; the reduction in number of the integrated courses and therefore of the exams.