Nurse Occupational Stressor Affect Their Clinical Performance and Mediating Role of Emotional Intelligence

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the mediating role of emotional intelligence between the relationship of occupational stressors and clinical performance among nurses. This quantitative research was completed through correlational research design. Survey was conducted as a method of data collection with the help of questionnaires. Population was consisted of nurses from the public health sector in Punjab province, Pakistan. A sample of 864 nurses were recruited using convenience sampling technique. Three research instruments were used; Nurses’ Occupational Stressor Scale (Chen et al., 2020), Six Dimension Scale of Nursing Performance (Schwirian in 1978), and Emotional Intelligence Scale (Mehta & Singh, 2013). Findings of study reveal that there was negative relationship between occupational stressor and clinical performance. Moreover, emotional intelligence was negatively correlated with occupational stressor among nurses. In addition, there was a positive correlation between emotional intelligence and clinical performance among nurses. Results depict that occupational stressor are the significant negative predictors of clinical performance. Furthermore, the relationship between occupational stressor and clinical performance was partially mediated by emotional intelligence. Findings evident that nurses who were working in emergency room showed a greater level of occupational stressor as compared to nurses of intensive care unit. Similarly, the married nurses found stressful at workplace as compared to unmarried. Additionally, the nurses who were illiterate of computer skills showed a greater level of occupational stress than who have computer skills. Meanwhile, occupational stress level was greater among the nurses who were on night shift duty as compared to day shift duty. Results suggest that nurses of intensive care unit were found emotionally intelligent and their clinical performance was better as compared to emergency room nurses. The nurses who have the computer skill perform clinically better as compared to those who did not know the computer skill. Furthermore, the findings of the study reveal that the level of emotional intelligence was reported higher among those nurses who had the computer skill. In addition, there was no significant mean score difference was found on clinical performance between unmarried and married nurses. Furthermore, nurses who were unmarried and on day shift duty showed the greater level of emotional intelligence and clinical performance as compared to married and night shift duty. Findings of the study reveal that level of education and age of nurses plays an important role to determine their occupational stressor, clinical performance and emotional intelligence. Stress management training, simulation training should be provided to nurses to enhance their clinical performance in public health sector.