[The International Observatory and Confrontations: the reading of 10 years of this journal]

Osservatorio Internazionale e Confronti are maybe very unusual sections for a nursing journal. The analysis of original contributions published during the 10 years of publication of the Rivista dell'Infermiere is the occasion for an evaluation on some common trends and problems of the health care systems and the "outside" world. In spite of the different contents and aims of articles published in these sections, common problems and interdependence of the health care system from other major systems can be easily drawn out.