High levels of stress experienced by primary care oncology nursing staff, and the competency impairment which results from such stress, has become a matter of much concern in health care settings. This study was conducted to identify the coping strategies employed by oncology nurses, and to relate these strategies to differential indices of stress and burnout. Oncology nurses (N=133) at a comprehensive cancer center completed the Ways of Coping (WC) Checklist, the Job-Related Tension Index, the Emotional Exhaustion Scale, the Role Conflict scale, the Job Involvement scale, and the Home-Work Conflict scale. The Job Involvement scale showed a clear and positive relationship to five of the eight WC scales (Self-Controlling, Seeking Social Support, Accepting Responsibility, Planful Problem-Solving, and Positive Reappraisal), all of which contained coping responses characterized by constructive engagement. Role conflict, stress, and burnout indices were most strongly and positively associated with the WC scales of Confrontive Coping, Distancing, Accepting Responsibility, and Escape-Avoidance scales, and negatively associated with the Planful Problem-Solving scale. Type of coping response was differentially related to the level of reported stress and burnout. Increased use of emotional-focused coping responses was related to increased reports of stress and burnout. (NB)