The aim of the study performed was to test the quality and the appropriateness of nursing assessment in the light of the standards established by the American Nurses Association (ANA). For this purpose, we retrospectively reviewed our nursing documentation on a randomized sample of 300 patients (165 from the Clinical Oncology Division and 125 from the Women's Division of Cancer Institute , Bari). Statistical analysis was performed with SPSS vs 9. Data were analysed and compared with ANA standards. The results suggest that the collection of data regarding patients' health and demands is not systematic. A proposal to improve nursing data collection and assessment is therefore put forward.