[Italy continues to train doctors but forgets nurses]

This editorial highlights the paradox of Italy's healthcare workforce planning: while the country faces a shortage of more than 100,000 nurses, it continues to expand medical school places faster than nursing programmes. This imbalance threatens hospital services, community-based care and the implementation of reforms funded by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. The author calls for a strategic shift that doubles nursing education capacity, introduces financial incentives and paid work-study pathways, improves salaries and career prospects, and expands nurses' advanced clinical and prescribing roles. The editorial also warns against delegating nursing responsibilities to less-qualified personnel. A comprehensive reform of education, professional boundaries and healthcare organisation is presented as essential to building a sustainable, accessible and patient-centred health system.