AIM: The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between nurses' burnout levels and caring behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHOD: This descriptive and cross- sectional study was performed with 136 nurses working in three pandemic hospitals in Istanbul. The data were collected with the “General Information Form,” “Maslach Burnout Inventory,” and “Caring Behaviors Inventory-24.”

RESULTS: The nurses' mean total score on the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) was 38.61±12.90, and the mean total score on the Caring Behaviors Inventory-24 (CBI-24) was 5.09±0.64. It was identified that the mean MBI rank of the nurses who predominantly worked in shifts was statistically significantly higher than the other groups (p<0.05). The mean CBI-24 rank of the nurses with 2-5

years of experience was found to be significantly higher compared to the other groups (p<0.05). A moderate negative correlation was detected between the nurses' MBI total score and CBI-24 total score (r=- 0.506) (p<0.01).

CONCLUSION: In line with the study results, it was revealed that nurses experienced a high level of emotional exhaustion, and a moderate negative correlation was found between nurses' burnout levels and their perception of care quality. It can be said that the perception of caring behavior decreases with the increased burnout levels of nurses providing care to patients diagnosed with COVID-19. Interventions to reduce the burnout levels of nurses will increase the professional commitment and job satisfaction of nurses and will be effective in providing quality care.