Aim: to describe the Burnout Syndrome and the quality of work life of the nursing staff of a second level health institution and to see if there is a relationship between these two constructs. Method: the study was carried out under a descriptive, correlational design with predictive purposes. The Maslach Burnout Inventory [MBI] and the Professional Life Quality Questionnaire [CVP-35] were applied to 62 care workers. Results: the results indicated a high and moderate severity of the syndrome in 38.7% of the participants; however, the high level of personal realization attached to the intrinsic motivation constituted a protective factor before the high work load and the scarce management support. The emotional fatigue correlated directly with the work load and inversely with the intrinsic motivation. Conclusion: the importance of a more efficient management and a direction more centered in the people in the health institutions is highlighted.