Objective  To explore association among work pressure, psychological capital, and job burnout of psychiatric nurses, and to provide reference for psychiatric nurse management.

Method  Psychiatric nurses from one specialized psychiatric hospital and psychiatric departments of four general hospitals were selected and investigated using Nurse Job Stressor Questionnaire, Positive Psychological Capital Questionnaire, and Maslach Burnout Inventory.

Result  The psychiatric nurses' work pressure (total average score was 80.72±17.24) was in the moderate level; psychological capital (total average score was 117.23±19.75) was in the moderate level; emotional exhaustion (total score was 20.09±10.27) and depersonalization (total score was 7.31±6.16) dimensions were in the moderate level of job burnout, and low personal accomplishment (total score was 18.38± 10.33) was in the high level of job burnout. There were significant differences in work pressure in the nurses with different night shifts per month (P<0.05). There were significant differences in work pressure and psychological capital in the nurses with different professional titles (P<0.05). Work pressure was negatively correlated with psychological capital (r=-0.18, P<0.001). Work pressure was positively correlated with emotional exhaustion and depersonalization (r=0.44 and 0.40, both Ps<0.001). Psychological capital was negatively correlated with job burnout and its subscales (r=-0.33, -0.33, and -0.59, all Ps<0.001). Psychological capital played an intermediary role between work pressure and the dimensions of job burnout.

Conclusion  Psychiatric managers should reduce work pressure and improve psychological capital to curb job burnout.