Psychological distress among ICU and ED nurses: the infulance of emotional intelligence By Daliah Ahmad Almuhdi Background and Objective: Nurses in Intensive Care Units (ICUs) and Emergency Department (ED) often contend with elevated psychological distress (stress, anxiety, and depression), impacting patient care and personal well-being. Despite the known negative association between Emotional Intelligence (EI) and these psychological disorders, limited research in Jordan has explored this relationship.

Abstract

BACKGROUND Nurses in Intensive Care Units (ICUs) and Emergency Department (ED) often contend with elevated psychological distress (stress, anxiety, and depression), impacting patient care and personal well-being. Despite the known negative association between Emotional Intelligence (EI) and these psychological disorders, limited research in Jordan has explored this relationship. This study aims to examine the relationship between Emotional Intelligence (EI) and psychological distress (stress, anxiety, and depression) among acute care nurses in Jordan. OBJECTIVE This study aims to examine the relationship between Emotional Intelligence (EI) and psychological distress (stress, anxiety, and depression) among acute care nurses in Jordan. METHODS The study utilized a cross-sectional descriptive and predictive design, targeting ICU and ED nurses (n=296) from University Hospital (JUH) and King Abdullah University Hospital (KAUH). Eligible participants included registered nurses with a minimum of one year of experience in ICU or ED settings. A self-administered questionnaire consisting of a sociodemographic data sheet, the Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale (WLIES), and the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) were employed. Descriptive and inferential statistics were applied for data analysis. Linear regression analysis was used to examine the predictors of EI with social demographics were tested as predictor variables. Also SPSS’s PROCESS macro (Hayes, 2013) was used to determine if EI significantly moderates the relationship between stress and depression as well as between stress and anxiety. Results: Despite nurses exhibiting high EI levels (5.34 ±1.0), 65.9%, 10.1%, and 14.9% of participating nurses experienced extremely severe stress, anxiety, and depression, respectively. Negative but non-significant correlations were observed between EI and stress, anxiety, or depression. No moderation effects of EI were detected. Stress has a significant positive effect on anxiety (b=.547, p=.035, but not EI (b= -1.488, p=.187). The interaction between stress and EI was not significant as well (b = .047, p =.304), indicating that EI did not moderate the relationship between stress and anxiety. On regression analysis, higher education level (B.s degree) was a significant predictor, higher education level (Bs degree) was a significant predictor, and higher education level (Bs degree) was a significant predictor of EI, explaining 5.3% of the variance. RESULTS Despite nurses exhibiting high EI levels (5.34 ±1.0), 65.9%, 10.1%, and 14.9% of participating nurses experienced extremely severe stress, anxiety, and depression, respectively. Negative but non-significant correlations were observed between EI and stress, anxiety, or depression. No moderation effects of EI were detected. Stress has a significant positive effect on anxiety (b=.547, p=.035, but not EI (b= -1.488, p=.187). The interaction between stress and EI was not significant as well (b = .047, p =.304), indicating that EI did not moderate the relationship between stress and anxiety. On regression analysis, higher education level (B.s degree) was a significant predictor, higher education level (Bs degree) was a significant predictor, and higher education level (Bs degree) was a significant predictor of EI, explaining 5.3% of the variance. CONCLUSIONS The study highlights the mental health challenges faced by acute care nurses in Jordan, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions to reduce psychological distress (stress, anxiety, and depression) in these settings. This research provides valuable insights for healthcare providers and policymakers to improve the overall well-being of nurses.