The Relationship between Emotional Intelligence and Stress Coping of Nurses

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the relationship between emotional intelligence and stress coping of nurses in hospitals. Method: The study was a descriptive-correlational study with a convenience sample of 298 nurses. Descriptive statistics t-test, Mann-Whitney U, One-way ANOVA and Pearson correlation coefficients were used for data analysis. Results: The results of this study were as follows; Emotional intelligence was higher in married nurses than unmarried nurses (t=-2.90, p=.004). Nurses with a clinical career of 4~7 years had better stress coping than nurses with shorter careers (F=5.60, p=.004). Ward nurses better stress coping than nurses in emergency rooms and Intensive care units (F=4.43, p=.013). Fixed shift nurses had better stress coping than nurses on rotation shifts (t=-2.37, p=.019). There was a significant positive correlation between emotional intelligence and stress coping(r=.29, p<.001). Conclusion: The results indicate that stress coping is better in nurses with higher emotional intelligence, 4~7 year clinical experience, working on ward a as well as having a fixed shift. However further development and application of programs which can improve nurses' emotional intelligence are needed.