Introduction. There is a low number of employed nurses in Poland. The reasons for the staff shortage include the disproportion between the number of young nurses and those of retirement age. The reason for this may be insufficient interest in the nursing profession, resulting from the difference between expectations and objective conditions in the workplace. Aim. The aim of this study is to present expectations and factors related to them in a group of professionally active nurses. Material and Methods. The study included a group of 154 professionally active nurses. The study was conducted in two hospitals in Poznań, from May to November 2017. The study used an original questionnaire containing demographic data, questions regarding expectations in professional work and occupational burnout. Results. The most frequently fulfilled expectations of nurses in their professional work included relations with co-workers (46%), support from them (45%), perception of a nurse by other people (36%). The least frequently realized expectation was financial remuneration (9%). Nurses living alone (98%) more often than those living in a relationship (85%) met professional expectations (p = 0.011). A significantly higher percentage of nurses who did not meet their professional expectations reported occupational burnout in terms of depersonalization (p < 0,05). Conclusions. 1) Nurses most often meet their professional expectations regarding interpersonal relations, and least often those regarding financial remuneration. 2) Important expectations, but not met by nurses, include stress level at work, equipping the ward with the latest equipment and income at the primary workplace. 3) Lack of fulfilled expectations regarding the conditions conducive to the development of professional competencies and the support of colleagues may contribute to the symptoms of professional burnout.

Key words: nursing, expectations, professional burnout, professional work.