Document Type : Original Article
Authors
Abstract
Background: High level of self-awareness together with emotional intelligence enables nurses to have more self-confidence and be more respectful among patients by providing more optimal care. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between emotional intelligence and general health among nurses working in the hospitals of Ilam province.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was conduct on all the nurses (N=335) working in 12treatment centers and hospitals of Ilam province selected through census method in 2014. The study data were gathered using Sieberia Shrink’s questionnaire and 28-item Goldberg’s questionnaire. Then, the data were entered into the SPSS statistical software, version 18 and were analyzed by Pearson’s correlation coefficient, t-test, and one-way ANOVA.
Results: The mean age of the nurses was 34.48±16.8 years. Besides, their mean score of general health was 90.28±14.17, indicating somewhat desirable status. Their mean score of emotional intelligence was also 32.53±5.43, representing desirable status. The results revealed a significant correlation between general health and emotional intelligence (r=-0.40, P<0.001). Moreover, general health was significantly associated with age (P=0.01), gender (P=0.03), marital status (P=0.02), and emotional intelligence dimensions (P<0.05).
Conclusions: The findings of this study showed a relationship between general health and emotional intelligence. Hence, improvement of the factors affecting emotional intelligence through development of plans for training emotional intelligence components and providing the ground for enhancing nurses’ emotional intelligence can directly affect their general health.
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