The association between emotional intelligence and burnout among Chinese nurses: a cross-sectional study

Nurse burnout is a widespread global occupational health challenge in healthcare. However, the association between emotional intelligence (EI) and burnout remains relatively under-investigated within China's collectivist cultural context. What is the magnitude and direction of the association between EI and burnout among nurses in Chinese tertiary hospitals?

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 308 eligible nurses from a Chinese tertiary hospital, using the Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale (WLEIS) and Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS). Data were analyzed using Pearson's correlation analysis and multiple linear regression analysis.

Participants had moderate-to-high EI levels, with a mean total WLEIS score of 82.24 ± 15.06. The overall prevalence of clinically significant burnout was 65.3%, with 58.44% of participants reporting high emotional exhaustion, 48.05% high depersonalization, and 42.86% low personal accomplishment. EI was significantly inversely correlated with emotional exhaustion (r = -0.35, p < 0.01) and depersonalization (r = -0.23, p < 0.01), and significantly positively correlated with personal accomplishment (r = 0.50, p < 0.01). Furthermore, EI was independently associated with all three burnout dimensions (β = -0.39, -0.28, 0.53; R ² = 0.20, 0.16, 0.41; all p < 0.01).

EI is significantly associated with all three burnout dimensions among Chinese tertiary hospital nurses, providing preliminary evidence for EI-focused burnout mitigation strategies and related research in the Chinese context.