Aim This study aimed to assess the overall status of burnout in nurses in China on a national scale and investigate the demographic characteristics related to burnout and the relationships between demographics, job satisfaction and burnout. Methods This was a national cross‐sectional study conducted by the Chinese Nursing Association between July 2016 and July 2017. Data were collected using a structured, self‐administered questionnaire. Results A total of 51 406 registered nurses in 311 Chinese cities completed the questionnaire. Fifty per cent of the participants suffered burnout, and 33.8% of nurses had high scores on emotional exhaustion, 66.6% had high scores on depersonalization and 93.5% had low scores on personal accomplishment; 16.2% reported a high level of job satisfaction, only 0.4% was satisfied with their jobs and 70.7% intended to leave their jobs. Marital status, educational level, income and years of working experience affected job burnout. Nurses with a high level of burnout were more likely to have a high degree of job dissatisfaction and intend to leave their jobs. Conclusion We found a high prevalence of burnout among nurses in China. Nursing managers need to pay more attention to job burnout and its influencing factors. Interventions to reduce nurse burnout should be implemented.