The Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence and Job Stress and Occupational Exhaustion among Nurses of Health Care Centers in University Medical Sciences of Hamadan in 2014

Abstract

Introduction: Using emotional intelligence, nurses will be more adaptable to their environment and job stress and will have less burnout in the workplace. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between emotional intelligence and job stress and occupational burnout among nurses in intensive care units. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional correlation study with random stratified sampling method, 205 nurses of intensive care units in the educational and health centers (Beheshti, Ekbatan, Behesht, Farshchian and Fatemiyeh) in Hamedan city in 2014 were conducted. Data was collected by questionnaire of Emotional Intelligence-Load, Philip L. Rice's Job Stress, and Meslach's Burnout Questionnaire. Results: Special care nurses had a mean score of moderate emotional intelligence (233.13 ± 12.71) and the mean of occupational stress score (169.30±14.16) and the mean score of burnout components were emotional exhaustion (29.96±13.77) and personality deprivation (11.55±8.87) and personal capability (35.78 ± 11.85). Emotional intelligence with job stress (P=0.01, r=-0.28) also, the burnout components of emotional exhaustion (P=0.01, r=-0.44), personality depersonalization (P=0.01, r=-0.37) and personal adequacy (P=0.01, r=-0.37) had a reverse and significant relationship. Conclusion: Job stress can lead to physical or psychological harm and in the long run lead to negative outcomes in the performance of nurses and hospitals; in the long run, this leads to burnout in nurses and reduced ability to care for patients. Actions such as paying attention to the concept of emotional intelligence and promoting it in the nursing profession can be considered in preventing such problems.