The impact of emotional intelligence on workplace wellbeing among nurses and midwives: a cross-sectional study

Despite the growing awareness of emotional intelligence (EI) as an essential component in healthcare, there remains yet a substantial lack in comprehending how EI promotes workplace wellbeing. This study examined how emotional intelligence influences job satisfaction and wellbeing among nurses and midwives in Qatar, focusing on fostering resilience in a multicultural, high-pressure setting.

This cross-sectional (convergent mixed-methods) study was carried out among nurses and midwives in a secondary hospital in Qatar after approval by the Institutional Review Board of Qatar. Our study included 121 registered nurses and midwives with at least 6 months of experience, fluent in English and Arabic, who consented and completed an online survey on seven EI domains. Descriptive statistics and inferential techniques were used for statistical analysis.

The overall mean EI score was 47.9 ± 7.4, with the highest proficiency in awareness of others (7.0 ± 1.7) and lower scores in emotional reasoning (5.9 ±1.8). Correlation analysis revealed a positive relationship between self-awareness and all other EI domains (p < 0.001), particularly emotional self-control (r = 0.528). While EI dimensions showed weak correlations with job satisfaction, work-life balance emerged as the primary predictor of satisfaction (r = 0.500, p < 0.001). Qualitative themes validated these results, highlighting EI as a crucial tool for stress management and team dynamics.

This study highlights the essential role of emotional intelligence in improving workplace wellbeing, decision-making, and team cohesion among nurses and midwives, advocating for its integration as a core competency in practice and education.