Abstract: Objective To study the correlation between core competence and job burnout in junior nurses. Methods Core competence and job burnout in 200 nurses were investigated with questionnaire following the Competency Inventory for Registered Nurses (CIRN)and Chinese Maslach Burnout Inventory (CMBI). Results Of the 200 issued questionnaires, 189 were returned with a response rate of 94.5%. The seven dimensions of core competency: critical thinking, clinical care, leadership, interpersonal relationship, ethics, professional development, mood depletion of the education are significantly correlated with three dimensions of job burnout: emotional exhaustion, dehumanization and diminished personal accomplishment. Conclusion Training should be stressed on the core competence of junior nurses.