Emotional Intelligence, Communication, and Burnout in Healthcare Professionals

Introduction: Mental health and performance in healthcare settings necessitate an examination of factors such as emotional intelligence, assertive communication, job satisfaction, and burnout. These variables impact professional well-being, quality of patient care, and organizational efficacy. Objective: To investigate the interrelationships among emotional intelligence, assertive communication, job satisfaction, and burnout in healthcare professionals. Materials & Methods: This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted at a tertiary-level hospital. We assessed emotional intelligence (Trait Meta-Mood Scale-24), assertive communication (Shelton and Burton’s Assertiveness Test), job satisfaction (S/23 Job Satisfaction Questionnaire), and burnout (Maslach Burnout Inventory). Data were analyzed using Spearman’s rho (ρ) correlations. Results: The sample comprised 125 medical and nursing professionals. Significant positive correlations were found between emotional clarity and assertive communication (ρ = 0.55, p < 0.001) and between emotional clarity and job satisfaction (ρ = 0.47, p < 0.001). Conversely, emotional clarity was negatively correlated with emotional exhaustion (ρ = –0.46, p < 0.001) and depersonalization (ρ = –0.31, p < 0.001). Discussion and Conclusions: The findings indicate a key role of emotional intelligence in healthcare. Interventions aimed at enhancing emotional intelligence can strengthen communication skills, improve job satisfaction, and mitigate burnout, promoting professional well-being and enhancing the quality of patient care.