First published in 1998, this volume emerged in the context of rapidly developing nursing and health care fields and features contributions on areas in the NHS and private nursing including nurses’ pay and education, the gender balance in the nursing labour market, working patterns, employment contracts and turnover. It is part of a series of monographs offers up-to-date reports of recently completed research projects in the fields of nursing and health care. The aim of the series is to report studies that have relevance to contemporary nursing and health care practice. It includes reports of research into aspects of clinical nursing care, management and education. The series is of interest to all nurses and health care workers, researchers, managers and educators in the field.