[Nurses in print]

The paper presents an analysis of the articles on nursing personnel published from September 1989 till June 1990 in the two most widespread newspapers: II Corriere della Sera and La Republica. The nursing profession has been a very important object of nation as well as local chronicles, specifically during the nationwide "nursing emergency." It is striking however to see that nurses themselves are absent as subjects from the debate on the crisis of the profession. It is further underlined that journalists are very rough in their analyses of the cause of professional malaise and in the formulation and discussion of hypotheses for solution.