The effect of emotional intelligence on burnout and fear of COVID-19: A Descriptive and cross-sectional study on nurses

Burnout causes both physical and psychosocial problems. Nurses who experience burnout are more likely to underperform, compromise professional quality standards, engage in unethical practices, neglect their patients, work reluctantly, suffer from low job satisfaction, and consider quitting. Emotional intelligence is one’s ability to manage one's emotions. Emotional intelligence improves psychological health. This cross-sectional and descriptive study investigated the effect of emotional intelligence on burnout and fear of COVID-19. The research was conducted between March and July 2021. The sample consisted of 110 nurses. Data were collected using a personal information form, the Emotional Intelligence Scale (EIS), the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S), and the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI). Participants had high EIS, FCV-19S, and MBI scores. Participants who had received training in emotional intelligence before had a significantly higher median EIS score than those who had not (p<0.05). Moreover, participants who had received training in emotional intelligence before had substantially lower median MBI “emotional exhaustion” and “depersonalization” subscale scores than those who had not (p<0.05). There was a negative correlation between EIS and MBI scores, suggesting that the higher the emotional intelligence, the lower the burnout levels (p<0.05). However, there was no correlation between EIS and FCV-19S scores (p>0.05). Nurses with high emotional intelligence levels are less likely to experience burnout. Authorities should train nurses in emotional intelligence to help them cope with the challenges of possible epidemics, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.