This study examined the effects of reality negotiation strategies on burnout among nurses (N=45) in chronic-care rehabilitation units. It was predicted that hope would be inversely related to three components of burnout. The factors of hope were described as: (1) "agency," defined as a sense of meaning and goal-directed energy; and (2) perceived pathways to meeting personal and professional goals. Nurse burnout was assessed with the Maslach Burnout Inventory for three components: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment. Nurses' numbers of years in the unit were also noted. The findings of this research reaffirmed previous findings regarding the buffering effects of hope as well as its differential effects on coping. Hope was clearly associated with lower burnout scores. However, it was a sense of agency that predicted lower emotional exhaustion while years on the unit and pathways predicted depersonalization. Personal accomplishment was not associated with agency, pathways, or years on the unit. The strong relationship between emotional exhaustion and agency indicated that a greater sense of determination to meet goals affected the degree to which nurses experienced emotional exhaustion. Emotional exhaustion is possibly the key element in burnout, since recent research indicates that this component is the strongest predictor of job dissatisfaction, plans for leaving the job, training for other work, and actual turnover. Years on the unit was the strongest predictor of depersonalization. It is possible that long-term caring and fatigue erode the nurse's ability to care for others. (LLL)