Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence and Coping Patterns with Stres among Nurses during COVID-19 Pandemic

Background: The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak poses huge stress for nurses and
emotional intelligence (EI) is a prerequisite for adaptive coping with stressors during this Pandemic.
Aim: This study aimed to assess the relationship between emotional intelligence and coping pattern
with stress among nurses during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Design: A descriptive, correlational
research design was utilized in this stud. Setting: This study was conducted at different units and
departments in Ain shams University Hospital. Subjects: 241 nurses were included in the study.
Tools of data collection: The data was collected using: 1) Sociodemographic data questionnaire 2)
Schutte Self-Report Emotional Intelligence Test to assess the emotional intelligence of nurses
during covid 19 pandemic; 3) The Brief COPE scale to assess adaptive and maladaptive coping
patterns with stress during covid 19 pandemic. Results: The current study results showed that
72.2% of the nurses in this study have low levels of emotional intelligence and that the highest
mean of the studied sample was self-awareness, social skills, empathy, managing emotions,
optimism, and utilization of other emotion subscales (27.1 ± 17.04, 26.1 ± 2.04, 15. 3 ± 12.04, 15.
3 ± 12.04,15.0 ± 2.05 and 6.1 ± 2.03) prospectively. The highest mean score was for maladaptive
coping and there were statistically significant differences between levels of coping and level of
emotional intelligence of studied nurses. Conclusion: the current study concluded that nearly
three-quarters of the nurses in this study have low levels of emotional intelligence and had
maladaptive coping patterns with stress during covid 19 pandemic and there were statistically
significant differences between levels of coping of the studied sample and their level of emotional
intelligence. Recommendations: Designing and implementing an emotional intelligence training
program to empower the nurses to the conscious use of EI resources and use adaptive coping
strategies during the time of pandemic and the years that will follow