Reviews the literature on occupational health problems of nurses. These problems are categorized into biological hazards, chemical hazards, physical hazards & psychosocial hazards (e.g. increased risk of suicide). Among health care workers, nurses seem to have a higher level of stress than physicians & pharmacists. The deleterious effects of shift work include disruption of home life & the disentrainment of the circadian rhythm. These hazards may contribute to nursing staff shortages. 102 refs.