Emotional intelligence and coping strategies among intensive care unit nurses

Stress is an integral part of daily work for nurses, especially those who work in intensive care units (ICUs). However, chronic stress can affect nurses' mental and physical well-being, increasing their risk of burnout and decreasing the quality of care. A higher emotional intelligence (EI) level may be correlated with greater use of effective coping strategies, leading to a reduction of the adverse effects of stress.

This study aimed to examine the relationship between EI and coping strategies among adult ICU nurses in Poland.

A cross-sectional survey design was used. Current adult ICU nurses in nine Polish hospitals were invited to participate. The survey instruments used were: the Polish version of the Schutte Self-Report Emotional Intelligence Test, the Inventory to Measure Coping Strategies with Stress (Brief-COPE), and a self-constructed questionnaire.

114/543 (21%) nurses completed the survey. ICU nurses showed an average level of EI (70.2%). The main stress coping strategies were active coping and planning, the rarest being substance use, behavioural disengagement, and denial. For nurses with a higher EI level, the most frequently used strategies included positive reframing (R = 0.43; p < .001), active coping (R = 0.38; p < .001), planning (R = 0.37; p < .001) and religion (R = 0.25; p = .006). Nurses were less likely to utilize strategies of behavioural disengagement (R = -0.32; p = .001) and self-blame (R = -0.40; p < .001).

EI may have an impact on coping strategies, as a higher EI level was correlated with the greater use of effective coping strategies in ICU nurses.

Training in coping with stress and increasing EI may have a positive impact on reducing the risk of burnout in nurses and thus improving the quality of care delivered.