Introduction: Psychiatric nurses are regularly faced with stressful stimuli that lead to physical, psychological and behavioral symptoms; this affects the quality of patient care. Training can help us to apply effective coping strategies. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of cognitive behavioral stress management training on job stress and psychiatric nurses’ coping strategies.

Methods: This quasi-experimental study was carried out in 2016 by 39 nurses in the Psychiatric Ward of Imam Reza Hospital in Birjand. Convenience sampling method was used. The experimental group received eight sessions (each 90 minutes) of cognitive behavioral therapy training. Both experimental and control groups filled in two questionnaires (job stress DCL and coping methods PNMCQ) before, just after and two months after the intervention. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 19, chi-squared test, independent samples t-test, paired samples t-test and Pearson’s correlation coefficient, with a significance level of P ≤ 0.05.

Results: Most of the stressed nurses were worried about future outcomes and methods used to adapt a positive attitude to job stress. Comparisons of the mean total score of stress were as follows: before the study 1.79 ± 0.88, after the study 1.50 ± 0.82, and follow-up 1.69 ± 0.6; they showed a significant difference (P < 0.001).

Conclusions: Cognitive behavioral stress management training is useful to apply effective compatible ways and reduce nurses’ stress levels.