A survey of a random sample of 6,000 registered nurses who were members of the Royal College of Nursing explored views on issues related to working as a nurse and having a career in nursing. Recent policy documents highlighted the high value the government placed on the role of nurses. Results indicated there were clear gender differences with respect to area of work, with men more often found in mental health and only females in general practice nursing; "greying" (meaning the advancing mean age of those in the nursing progression) of the work force continued; and the percentage employed in National Health Service (NHS) nursing decreased. Nineteen percent of NHS nurses had changed jobs or stopped working in the past 12 months, with over half of those leaving for jobs in non-NHS nursing. Nurses reported better pay was the most important factor that would encourage them to stay in nursing. Fifty-nine percent worked more than their contracted hours; nurses with the highest stress factor scores were those who worked excess hours every shift. Regardless of the ways respondents were grouped, all groups were dissatisfied with their pay; nearly all reported high levels of dissatisfaction. Nurses had spent an average of 83 hours in continuing professional development (CPD) over the last 12 months; nurses who worked in nursing homes/residential care were likely to report no help by employers for CPD activities. For both NHS and non-NHS nurses, career satisfaction and intention to leave nursing as well as commitment and leaving intentions were related. (Appendixes contain survey information and scale items, and 19 references.) (YLB)