Abstract: Objective To explore correlations between perceived professional sense and career progression and turnover intention among nurses working in a hospital with short-term employment contract and to provide evidences for management and training of the nurses.Methods By convenient sampling, 733 temporarily employed nurses in a tertiary hospital were assessed with self-designed questionnaires about perceived professional sense, career progression and turnover intention between January to October 2015.Results Among the nurses, the average overall score for perceived professional sense was 6.49±1.25, with the domain scores of 3.15±0.92 and 3.27±0.85 for perceived opportunity and integration with colleagues;the average overall score for career progression was 11.78±2.03, with the domain scores of 2.40±0.53 for career goal, 1.94±0.47 for professional capability development, 1.67±0.32 for emotion engagement in work, 1.81±0.30 for title promotion, and 2.12±0.36 for income increase, respectively;the average overall score for turnover intention was 8.51±1.88, with the domain scores of 2.05±0.26 for satisfaction to work responsibility, 2.93±0.37 for organizational appreciation, and 3.19±0.68 for turnover.Correlation analyses indicated that both perceived professional opportunity and integration with colleagues were positively associated with career progression, capability development, emotion engagement in work, title promotion, and income increase(all P<0.05), but reversely related to work responsibility, organizational appreciation, and turnover intention (all P<0.05).Conclusion Perceived professional sense could promote career progression and attenuate turnover intention among temporarily employed nurses.