The relationship between job burnout and emotional intelligence among employees of teaching hospitals affiliated with Abadan University of Medical Sciences, Iran (2024)

BACKGROUND: Job burnout and emotional intelligence are critical issues in healthcare organizations, as they directly affect employee performance, quality of care, and patient safety. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between job burnout and emotional intelligence among employees of teaching hospitals affiliated with Abadan University of Medical Sciences in 2024. METHODS: This cross-sectional analytical study was conducted among 325 employees working in teaching hospitals in southwest Khuzestan Province. Data were collected using validated and reliable questionnaires assessing job burnout and emotional intelligence through a mixed and convenience sampling approach. Descriptive statistics, the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, and univariate linear regression analyses were performed using SPSS version 27. RESULTS: The majority of participants were female (74.5%), held a bachelor's degree or higher (83.4%), and were employed in clinical departments (80.9%). Job burnout levels were moderate in 69.8% and high in 30.2% of participants. Emotional intelligence and its domains were significantly higher than the median values. Emotional intelligence demonstrated a significant inverse association with job burnout, such that each one-unit increase in emotional intelligence was associated with a 0.12-unit decrease in job burnout. CONCLUSION: To enhance emotional intelligence and reduce job burnout, it is necessary for managers and policymakers in the health system, especially in underprivileged areas, to take the necessary measures, particularly by providing welfare facilities and strengthening both process and outcome motivation, especially the impact on hospital accreditation, for hospital staff.