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This paper reports on a comparative qualitative study across four European countries which explored the formation of work identity amongst nurses and other professionals in the field of health care. Within this sector, it identifies trends towards a more flexible, more highly skilled and more mobile workforce. Conversely, however, it is becoming difficult to recruit and retain staff due to increasing workload, decreasing job satisfaction and comparatively low pay. Occupational identity is theorised as a multi‐dimensional phenomenon, with structural, social and individual‐psychological components. A number of emerging common themes across the three dimensions and across the four national settings include structural conflicts between cost efficiency and quality of care, and individual conflicts between the core activity of caring for patients and the increasing demands of administration and other peripheral work. The study identifies a number of strategies used by nurses to balance these conflicting demands. Overall, the professional identity of nurses remains strong, but it is important for policy makers to be aware of the potential negative effects, in terms of staff turnover, mobility and job (dis)satisfaction, of the current state of the health care sector.

The contributions in this CDI special issue present research findings that have been generated in the course of the research project, Vocational Identity, Flexibility and Mobility in the European Labour Market, funded under the 5^th EU Framework Programme. Investigating identity formation processes at work, the guiding research question focused on what individuals identify with in their work context when they are challenged to respond to increasing demands for flexibility, mobility, changing work settings and shifting skill requirements. Project partners from seven European countries (Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Spain and the UK) interviewed more than 500 employees at intermediate skills level and over 100 managers and representatives of human resources departments about how employees cope with changes at work and how this might affect their work identity, work attitude and career orientation. This paper gives an overview of the background, research questions, basic theoretical considerations, methodology and general findings of this project. It serves as a general introduction to the other five papers presented in this issue which are all based on a common approach and understanding of the research carried out.