Introduction: The role and tasks of nurses constantly change. Despite these changes, there are constant expectations for this professional group. Primarily, high social and emotional skills are required which are a guarantee of the high quality of the services offered. Possessing and improving these skills protects nurses against the burnout syndrome. Objective: To highlight the important role of social competence as a buffer protecting against work burnout among nurses, as well as an indication of the selected psychosocial problems among this professional group. Brief description of the current state of knowledge: Nurses are one of professional groups most vulnerable to the occurrence of burnout syndrome. A chronic physical and mental load, type of work, the nature of interpersonal relationships, relatively low and unsatisfactory salary, predispose to burnout syndrome. Deficits in social skills can intensify the described situation. Therefore, it is important to increase self-awareness of this professional group, encouraging self-development and participation in dedicated training. Therefore, it is extremely important to create education and training programs that will place an even greater emphasis on psychosocial issues. Conclusions: Knowledge of the issues of social competence may be helpful in the recruitment procedure conducted for nursing staff, and in preparing procedures for professional development. Key words: nurses, burnout syndrome, social competence