BACKGROUND: There is a significant association between work values and burnout. However, most studies have tended to focus on a single influencing factor or rely only on total scale scores to assess nurses' work values, lacking a comprehensive consideration of differences within groups of nurses. As a result, the specific relationship between different work value patterns and burnout has not been clarified. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to identify Chinese nurses' patterns of work values, analyze the sociodemographic differences between these patterns, and explore the associations between these patterns and burnout. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. METHODS: A total of 550 nurses were recruited for this study via convenience sampling, 505 of whom completed the survey. A pattern of nurses' work values was identified through a latent profile analysis of 30 items on the nurses' work values scale. The relationships between nurses' work value patterns and sociodemographic variables were subsequently explored via bivariate analysis and multiple logistic regression analyses. Moreover, ANOVA was used to assess the associations between different latent profile work value patterns and nurse burnout. RESULTS: A total of three nurse work value patterns were identified: demand support (16.6%, n = 84), intrinsically driven (42.2%, n = 213), and overall identification (41.2%, n = 208). Age and marital status, such as being married, were the main predictors of demand support patterns. In contrast, years of working experience, a higher education level (a bachelor's or master's degree), and having a career establishment were predictors of intrinsically driven and overall identification patterns. In addition, the analyses revealed significant differences in burnout among nurses with different work value patterns. CONCLUSION: This study provides new perspectives for understanding the work motivation and stressors of the nurse population, revealing significant differences in coping with burnout among nurses with different work value patterns. This finding not only provides an important reference for subsequent research but also provides a strong basis for developing interventions for nurse burnout. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: Not applicable.