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Summary & key facts

This hospital-based study at King Khaled Hospital in Al-Majmaah, Saudi Arabia measured emotional intelligence (EI) and burnout in healthcare staff using self-report and standard tests. The researchers found a moderate overall level of EI. Higher scores on the well-being part of EI were linked to lower burnout, while higher emotionality was linked to higher burnout. The study also found that high job demands, call rotation or casual work, and low staff support were tied to more burnout. Because the study is cross-sectional, it shows links but cannot prove cause and effect.

Key facts:

• The study was done at King Khaled Hospital in Al-Majmaah, Saudi Arabia, and used cross-sectional surveys combining self-report and standardized tests.
• Emotional intelligence was measured with a 30-item questionnaire (ratings were averaged) and was described as at a "significantly moderate" level in this sample.
• Burnout was measured using a Burnout Syndrome Assessment Tool that covers three dimensions (exhaustion, cynicism/detachment, and inefficacy) across 15 items scored on a 5-point scale.
• Higher scores on the EI sub-dimension called well-being were associated with lower levels of burnout in this study sample.
• Higher scores on the EI sub-dimension called emotionality were associated with higher levels of burnout in this study sample.
• The study reported organizational factors linked to more burnout: high job demands, working on call rotations or in casual/temporary work, and insufficient staff support.
• The authors concluded that improving EI—especially the well-being dimension—and making personal and organizational interventions may help prevent burnout, but they noted the cross-sectional design cannot establish cause and effect.

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Emotional intelligence (EI) plays a critical role in safeguarding the emotional and psychological well-being of healthcare workers, acting as a buffer against burnout, and influencing the quality of patient care. Despite its significance, there remains a need to understand how EI levels correlate with burnout and what factors predict burnout in high-stress healthcare environments. This study, conducted at King Khaled Hospital in Al-Majmaah, Saudi Arabia, aims to assess the EI levels of healthcare staff, to determine the relationship between EI and burnout, and to identify key predictors of burnout to inform targeted interventions for improving workforce resilience and patient outcomes. Materials and Methods: Both self-reporting and standardized tests were integrated using cross-sectional surveys to evaluate the EI of each participant and the burnout they experience by averaging the rating of a 30-item questionnaire, allowing comparison of the interaction between EI, burnout, and work factors. Results: A significantly moderate level of EI was identified, while a high level of well-being was associated with a low level of burnout, and a high level of emotionality was associated with a high level of burnout. Results indicated that high job demands, call rotation, or casual work, and insufficient staff support were organizational correlates of burnout. Conclusions: Improving EI with a focus on the well-being sub-dimension may prevent burnout, and, for that, the interventions must be specific at both personal and organizational levels.

Topics

Emotional Intelligence and Performance Health and Well-being Studies Healthcare professionals’ stress and burnout

Categories

Psychology Social Psychology Social Sciences

Tags

Applied psychology Burnout Clinical psychology Economic growth Economics Emotional exhaustion Emotional intelligence Health care Medicine Nursing Psychological intervention Psychological resilience Psychology Social psychology