During a prospective study in two hospices, 41 nurses were interviewed about recent critical incidents at work. Questionnaires based on the work of House (1985) were used to measure their perceptions of professional support. At each interview, nurses detailed an average of four recent occasions when work-related support had been received. Overall, nurses were fairly satisfied with the professional support they had received, and it was evident that their direct supervisor was the most significant figure. However, some interesting distinctions were identified. For example, practical (as opposed to emotional) support was the most appreciated, and large meetings were frequently viewed as unhelpful. Nurses' friends and relatives were unlikely to be able to meet any needs for professional support that were not met in the work setting. The study demonstrated how helpful and unhelpful management strategies can be identified and how an overall picture of the level of professional support can be constructed.