The Effect of Emotional Intelligence Training on Work-Family Conflict in Intensive Care Nurses: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Abstract

Introduction: Work-family conflict (WFC) is a prevalent stressor for nurses, particularly in intensive care units (ICUs) due to demanding workloads. Emotional intelligence (EI) training has been demonstrated to enhance conflict resolution abilities.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of EI training on WFC among ICU nurses.

Methods: A randomized controlled trial with a pretest and posttest design was conducted with 74 nurses from two Iranian hospitals. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire, the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test, and the Carlson WFC Scales. They were then randomly assigned to a training group (n = 36) and a control group (n = 38). The training group received eight 60-min face-to-face EI training sessions twice a week, while the control group received no intervention. Posttest assessments were conducted four weeks later. Data analysis was performed using paired t-tests, independent t-tests, and one-way analysis of covariance in SPSS version 27.

Results: Emotional intelligence training significantly reduced overall WFC and its subscales (strain-based and behavior-based), indicating improved EI outcomes due to training in ICU nurses (p < .016). While time-based conflict did not show a significant reduction, improvements were observed within the training group.

Conclusions: The findings suggest that EI training is effective in mitigating WFC and enhancing EI among ICU nurses. Specifically, this training demonstrated significant reductions in behavior-based and strain-based WFC. This approach has the potential to improve both the professional and personal lives of nurses, ultimately contributing to a more fulfilling and sustainable nursing workforce.